The FIP has urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to ground all Air India Boeing 787s after two major mid-air malfunctions within a week, citing worsening safety standards and demanding a DGCA audit of Air India’s maintenance practices.
New Delhi [India]: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Friday has written to the Minister of Civil Aviation, calling for the grounding of all Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Air India following a series of serious technical malfunctions linked to electrical system failures and a special DGCA audit of Air India aircraft for maintenance.
Pilots Sound Alarm Over Air India’s Boeing 787 Fleet
In its letter dated October 10, 2025, Captain CS Randhawa, President of FIP, the pilots’ body, cited two major incidents that occurred within a week, involving AI-117 and AI-154, as evidence of worsening safety standards and poor maintenance oversight.
The letter reads: Since 16 Jun 25 we have reiterated that all B-787’s in the country must be checked thoroughly for the electrical systems. On 04 Oct the RAT deployed on AI-117 a/c while on approach at BHX. On 09 Oct, AI-154 from Vienna to Delhi diverted to Dubai which had major technical issues where the autopilot system suddenly failed triggering a series of technical malfunctions. The aircraft experienced failures across critical systems which included Autopilots, ILS (Instrument Landing System), Flight Directors (FDs) and Flight Control System Degradation with no Autoland capability. The pilots could not engage the autopilots due electrical malfunctions; thus, pilots were constrained to fly manually at night and divert to Dubai. Moreover, the FD’s were not available with degraded flight control systems. The aircraft landed safely at Dubai. We compliment the skill of the pilots to fly the aircraft at night safely to Dubai with limited automation/systems.
However, Air India categorically denies any assertion that there was an electrical failure in the AI 154 aircraft.
The Federation warned that such repeated failures, especially after the AI-171 crash, indicate deeper issues in the aircraft’s electrical systems and maintenance practices. The letter alleged that the problems have increased since Air India shifted maintenance responsibilities from AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Ltd.) to newly hired engineers.
Federation Calls for DGCA Audit and Full Investigation
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to take action. They called for a thorough investigation of both the AI-117 and AI-154 incidents. Additionally, they recommended grounding all Air India Boeing 787 aircraft until comprehensive checks of the electrical systems are completed.
The FIP also requested a special audit by the DGCA of Air India’s maintenance practices, with a particular focus on Minimum Equipment List (MEL) releases and recurring technical issues with the B-787 aircraft.
“The safety of air travel is being compromised by not investigating the causes of failures on B-787s in the country,” the letter emphasised.
The letter has also been copied to the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Director General of DGCA, and the Joint Director General (Air Safety) at DGCA.
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