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India’s aviation regulator has given the majority of the Air India 787 Dreamliner fleet a clean bill of health a week after the fatal crash of a 787-8 in Ahmedabad.
In a statement reported by Indian newspaper The Tribune, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said its recent inspections had thus far found no issues with the 787s themselves or with their maintenance, which were all in compliance with safety standards.
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“As of 17 June 2025, a total of 24 aircraft have successfully completed the required check. An additional two aircraft are planned for completion today, with one more scheduled for tomorrow. Of the remaining six aircraft, two are presently AOG (aircraft on ground) at Delhi,” the DGCA said.
“The checks on these two will be carried out post-declaration of serviceability and prior to their return to service. The remaining four aircraft currently under MRO will undergo the mandated check prior to their release from the respective maintenance hangars.”
The regulator did, however, raise concerns with “recent maintenance-related issues” reported by Air India. The carrier has cancelled numerous international services since last week’s crash, which killed 241 people on board and more than 50 on the ground.
“The airline was advised to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground handling units and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and strictly adhere to regulations,” the DGCA said.
The accident was the first ever fatal hull loss of a 787 Dreamliner. The 11.5-year-old plane involved, VT-ANB, was delivered in 2014 according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, and was one of 34 in the Air India fleet.
1,148 Boeing 787s are currently in use around the world, with both Qantas and Jetstar using the aircraft in Australia: Qantas flies 14 787-9s, while Jetstar has 11 787-8s. Air New Zealand also operates the aircraft type, with 14 787-9s.
In a statement earlier this week, a Qantas Group spokesperson offered condolences to the loved ones of those killed in the crash. Qantas has noted its 787s have flown safely for millions of hours.
“Aviation authorities are in the process of thoroughly investigating the cause of this incident and we will closely monitor their findings,” the spokesperson said.
Boeing currently has orders for 900 more Dreamliners, including 12 787-9s from Qantas; Air India has 20 787s on order with options for another 24.
