Ahmedabad tragedy: Report flags repeated faults in Air India aircraft

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): On June 12, 2025, Air India's AI-171 aircraft carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat. The aircraft collided with a nearby medical hospital building. Several months have passed since the accident, but the real reason behind this horrific plane crash has not been fully revealed yet. Meanwhile, the Aviation Safety Campaign Group of America has made a big claim. The organization says that serious technical flaws were already present in Air India's Boeing 787 aircraft. The aircraft had faced technical problems several times even before taking off from Ahmedabad airport.

The Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS) submitted its investigation report to the US Congress on January 12, 2026. According to a Hindustan Times report, the FAS investigation revealed that the aircraft had experienced a growing number of technical problems since it joined Air India's fleet. According to the FAS, the aircraft suffered serious engineering, quality, and maintenance deficiencies. The report cited problems with the electronic system, software glitches, frequent tripping of circuit breakers, faulty wiring, short circuits, power outages, and overheating of the power system.

Boeing has also responded to FAS's claims. A Boeing spokesperson said, "We follow all protocols of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). We will respect whatever decision the AAIB makes regarding the plane crash in India." However, there has been no official statement from Air India on this entire matter yet. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)'s preliminary report indicated that the plane crashed when the fuel switch was off. This incident was also compared to previous Boeing 737 Max aircraft accidents.

FAS has also claimed in its report that the Boeing 787 project is running about three years behind its scheduled schedule and its budget has reached billions of dollars. According to the report, incidents of system failure have been reported at some level in more than 2000 Boeing 787 aircraft flying across the world. The report states that the Boeing 787 was completed in the year 2011 and it took its first flight in December 2013. The aircraft was handed over to Air India on 28 January 2014 and it took its first commercial flight on 8 February 2014.