Air India crash: Airline says one engine on plane was new as damaged black box to be sent to US for analysis
Indian aviation regulator finds no major safety flaws in Air India Dreamliners but flags maintenance and coordination issues
The Air India plane that crashed last week had one new engine installed in March this year, while the other was last serviced in 2023 and wasn’t due for maintenance until December, according to the airline’s chairperson N Chandrasekaran.
India will send the black box from the crashed Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the US for analysis after it sustained “heavy damage”, The Economic Times has reported, citing an internal source.
More than 200 victims of the 12 June crash have been identified through DNA testing, Indian authorities said yesterday.
Investigators probing the crash have found that the aircraft’s emergency power system was likely active just before impact.
The Wall Street Journal reported that this possibly suggested an engine or hydraulic failure during takeoff, a rare event in commercial aviation.
Air India is cutting its international wide body operations by 15 per cent for a few weeks due to safety inspections.
Families in India with concerns can call Air India on 1800 5691 444. Those outside India can call the British Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000.
British survivor of Air India crash seen carrying brother’s casket at funeral
Why did the Air India flight crash? Here’s how experts will investigate the disaster in Ahmedabad
It is a miracle, says lone survivor of Air India plane crash.png?quality=75&width=230&auto=webp)
Should we worry about flying? Simon Calder answers your air travel safety questions after Air India plane crash
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Experts weigh in after Air India tragedy
The miraculous survival of a passenger who escaped moments after his Air India flight crashed, killing all others on board, has sparked debate over whether his seat, 11A, is the safest on a plane.
However, aviation experts say that determining the safest seat is not so simple, as aircraft configurations vary significantly and survival usually depends on a complex combination of factors.
"Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," Mitchell Fox, a director at the Flight Safety Foundation, a US-based nonprofit, said.
Ramesh Viswash Kumar, who was seated in 11A, recounted how his proximity to an emergency exit on the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed on Thursday allowed him to walk to safety.
Sitting next to an exit door may increase a person’s chances of survival in a crash. However, experts say that the specific seat number, such as 11A, is not universally the safest, as aircraft can have numerous different layouts.
Read more here:
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Experts weigh in after Air India tragedy
Video shows miracle survivor walking away from Air India horror crash explosion
This is the miraculous moment the sole survivor of the Air India crash emerges from the flames of the Boeing wreckage.
More than 270 people were killed when the Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday (12 June).
New footage has now emerged on social media of British man Vishwas Kumar Ramesh walking out of the crash site.
The video shows Mr Ramesh walking out of flames with phone in his hand as he limps out of the deadly accident.
Locals are seen helping him as black smoke engulfs the sky behind.
New footage shows moment British survivor of Air India crash emerges from flames
Air India chairperson says crashed plane had clean engine history
Air India chairperson N Chandrasekaran has said that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed last week had a clean engine history.
In an interview with Times Now, he said that the right engine was newly installed in March this year, and the left was last serviced in 2023.
The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and about 30 on the ground.
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the emergency power system was likely activated on flight AI171 before the crash, implying that an engine or hydraulic failure occurred during takeoff.
India to send black box from crashed Air India to US for analysis
India will send the black box from the crashed Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the US for analysis after it sustained extensive external damage, The Economic Times has reported, citing an internal source.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington will handle the extraction, with findings shared with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
“While AAIB had established a laboratory at its headquarters in Delhi last year, it is yet to be properly equipped to extract data from recorders which have sustained heavy damage. The NTSB team will carry them to their lab under protection and supervision from Indian officials to ensure that proper protocols are followed,” a person involved in the process told ET.
Civil aviation ministry drafts rules to minimise flight path hazards in the wake of Air India crash
In response to the deadly 12 June Air India Boeing 787 crash, India’s ministry of civil aviation has released draft rules – Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025 – to prevent flight path hazards.
The rules aim to empower authorities to identify and remove buildings or trees exceeding permissible height limits near aerodromes, the ministry said.
If the structure is found in violation, aviation regulator DGCA or an authorised officer may order its demolition or height reduction, with an additional 60-day extension possible only on valid grounds.
Air India tells customers 'safety is our highest priority'
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson shared a message with customers on Thursday, noting that the airline is conducting enhanced safety checks on its Boeing 787 and 777 fleets, resulting in a 15 per cent reduction in international flights through mid-July.
He reiterated that “safety is our highest priority” and emphasised the airline’s commitment to supporting the crash victims’ families and cooperating with investigators.
“This is a challenging time for all of us.”
Air India chairperson apologises for cancellations
In a message to members, Air India chairperson Campbell Wilson expressed regret over the increased number of flight cancellations seen in recent days.
In the past six days, 83 Air India flights have been cancelled, impacting passengers.
He attributed the disruptions to the extended time required for safety checks on the airline’s Boeing 787 fleet, which are now being extended to Boeing 777 aircraft as well.
He wrote: “Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days. We know these disruptions have been frustrating, and we’re truly sorry for the inconvenience.”
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Experts weigh in after Air India tragedy
The miraculous survival of a passenger who escaped moments after his Air India flight crashed, killing all others on board, has sparked debate over whether his seat, 11A, is the safest on a plane.
However, aviation experts say that determining the safest seat is not so simple, as aircraft configurations vary significantly and survival usually depends on a complex combination of factors.
"Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," Mitchell Fox, a director at the Flight Safety Foundation, a US-based nonprofit, said.
Ramesh Viswash Kumar, who was seated in 11A, recounted how his proximity to an emergency exit on the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed on Thursday allowed him to walk to safety.
Sitting next to an exit door may increase a person’s chances of survival in a crash. However, experts say that the specific seat number, such as 11A, is not universally the safest, as aircraft can have numerous different layouts.
Read more here:
Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Experts weigh in after Air India tragedy
India to send black box from crashed Air India to US for analysis
India will send the black box from the crashed Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the US for analysis after it sustained extensive external damage, The Economic Times has reported, citing an internal source.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington will handle the extraction, with findings shared with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
“While AAIB had established a laboratory at its headquarters in Delhi last year, it is yet to be properly equipped to extract data from recorders which have sustained heavy damage. The NTSB team will carry them to their lab under protection and supervision from Indian officials to ensure that proper protocols are followed,” a person involved in the process told ET.
More than 200 Air India crash victims identified, minister says
Indian authorities have identified over 200 victims of the 12 June Air India crash through DNA testing, the Indian authorities said yesterday.
“As of 2pm, 202 DNA (samples) have been matched,” Mr Harsh Sanghavi, home minister of Ahmedabad’s Gujarat state, wrote on X.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, killing 241 on board and more than 30 on the ground.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined. Experts from India, the UK and the US are examining data from the recovered black boxes.
Earlier, Indian aviation regulator called for inspections of all 33 Dreamliners with Air India and so far 26 have been cleared by the DGCA.
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