By Admin 
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has recently written a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation demanding immediate stoppage of flights of all Air India’s Boeing 787 aircraft in view of technical faults and maintenance related problems. Citing the main reason behind this step, the Pilot Association said that due to continuous technical problems and weakness in maintenance of Air India aircraft, DGCA has recently started a special audit.
According to FIP, several serious technical malfunctions have been reported on B-787 aircraft in recent months. These incidents have not only raised questions on aviation safety, but also posed serious risks to passengers and pilots. The pilots’ association has urged the DGCA to conduct a detailed and thorough inspection of the electrical systems of all Boeing 787 aircraft operated in India.
Details of recent events
4 October 2025: The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) suddenly became active during landing in Air India flight AI-117 going from Amritsar to Birmingham. This incident happened in the last leg of the flight. However, upon investigation the crew found that all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport. After this the plane was temporarily stopped for investigation.
9 October 2025: Air India flight AI-154 coming from Vienna, Austria to New Delhi had to be diverted to Dubai due to a possible technical fault. After investigation, the plane took off again from Dubai at 8:45 am (Indian time) and reached New Delhi safely.
According to the pilots association, in both these incidents, the autopilot system suddenly failed, due to which many technical glitches were revealed. Affected systems included the autopilot, instrument landing system (ILS), flight directors (FDs), and flight control systems, which disrupted the aircraft’s autolanding capability.
mention of old events
FIP also drew the government’s attention to the Air India plane crash that took place in Ahmedabad on June 12. The organization says that technical faults occurring in B-787 aircraft in the country are not being investigated in depth, due to which air safety is being compromised.
The pilots association said that ever since the maintenance of Air India aircraft has gone into the hands of new engineers, such incidents have increased. Earlier, when AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Limited) was handling the maintenance work, such technical problems were rarely seen.
Three main demands of FIP
- Intensive Investigation: A thorough and impartial investigation into the recent incidents at AI-117 and AI-154.
- Stopping flights: All B-787 aircraft of Air India should be temporarily grounded and a detailed investigation should be carried out for recurring technical problems including electrical systems.
- Special Audit: A special audit should be conducted by senior officials of DGCA, which should include investigation of MEL (Minimum Equipment List) release and recurring technical glitches, especially in Boeing-787 aircraft.
Air India statement
Tata Group-owned Air India has completely rejected claims of recent technical glitches. The company said that the opening of the RAT in AI-117 on October 4 was ‘uncommanded’, and there was no threat to the aircraft or passengers. All electrical and hydraulic systems were normal and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport. After this the aircraft was temporarily stopped for investigation and after completion of the investigation it took off again on 5 October.
Air India also clarified that the safety of passengers and crew is always their top priority. The airline said that the opening of the RAT was not due to any technical fault or pilot error and this has been seen in other airlines before.
What do the experts say?
According to experts, the ever-increasing technical faults in B-787 aircraft are posing a serious safety risk. If these are not checked and stopped in time, it can have a major impact on air safety.
Read this also-
‘Now I will not meet Jinping…’, Donald Trump’s anger on China again, threatened to impose heavy tariffs