Pilot Association Calls for Grounding of Air India Boeing 787s

NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has formally requested the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ground all Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Air India due to ongoing technical issues. The call comes after a series of incidents involving electrical system failures that have raised serious safety concerns.

In a letter dated October 10, FIP President Captain CS Randhawa highlighted two significant incidents within a week: one involving flight AI-117, where the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed unexpectedly while approaching Birmingham airport, and another with flight AI-154, which had to divert to Dubai after its autopilot system failed.

Captain Randhawa stated, "Since June 16, 2025, we have reiterated that all B-787s in the country must be thoroughly checked for issues in their electrical systems." He noted that the AI-154 incident involved multiple failures across critical systems, including the autopilot and flight control systems, forcing pilots to manually navigate the aircraft at night.

The FIP expressed concern that the safety of air travel is compromised by the lack of investigation into these failures. The letter also pointed out that technical issues have reportedly increased since Air India transferred maintenance responsibilities from Air India Engineering Services Ltd. (AIESL) to newly hired engineers.

The pilots' body has urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct a special audit of Air India's maintenance practices, focusing on the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and recurring technical problems with the B-787 fleet. They emphasized that the safety of air travel is at risk if the causes of these failures are not thoroughly investigated.

In response, Air India has denied any claims of electrical failure in the AI-154 aircraft, asserting that passenger and crew safety remains their top priority. The FIP's letter has also been sent to various officials within the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA, calling for immediate action to ensure the safety of the airline's operations.