(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) just sent a formal letter to India’s Civil Aviation Ministry demanding that all of Air India’s Boeing 787 planes be grounded while a full check of their electrical systems is carried out.
The letter, dated October 10, was written by Captain CS Randhawa, the FIP president. He cited two serious incidents that happened in just one week:
- AI‑117: On 4 October the plane’s Rapido Aircraft Tail‑hook (RAT) deployed unexpectedly while approaching Birmingham Heathrow (BHX).
- AI‑154: On 9 October a flight from Vienna to Delhi had to divert to Dubai after the autopilot and several other critical systems failed, including the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and flight directors. The crew had to fly manually at night and the aircraft landed safely in Dubai.
The FIP says these failures show a clear decline in safety and maintenance standards, especially after Air India moved maintenance duties from its own Air India Engineering Services Ltd. (AIESL) to a new group of engineers.
Air India’s top officials have denied that an electrical failure occurred on AI‑154, but the pilots’ group remains unconvinced. They argue that repeated problems, even after the AI‑171 crash, point to deeper issues with the Boeing 787’s electrical design and the airline’s maintenance practices.
Key points from the letter:
- Immediate grounding of all Air India Boeing 787s until the electrical systems are fully inspected.
- A thorough investigation of the AI‑117 and AI‑154 incidents.
- A special DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) audit of Air India’s maintenance operations, focusing on Minimum Equipment List (MEL) releases and recurring technical problems.
- Copies were sent to the Civil Aviation Ministry secretary, the DGCA Director General, and the DGCA’s Air Safety chief.
The FIP stresses that not looking into these failures endangers passenger safety across India’s skies. If the Ministry does not act, the pilots’ argument is that air travel safety will keep slipping.
Source: aninews
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