India considers grounding Boeing 787-8 fleet following fatal crash

The Indian government is considering grounding the country’s fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft following the tragic crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad, sources told reporters on June 13.

The fleet will likely be grounded for a safety review, the sources added, Caliber.Az reports. 

The move is likely to be part of a broader safety review in the wake of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 241 people on board and at least 28 individuals on the ground. The crash occurred on June 12, when Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, went down just minutes after takeoff, crashing into a hostel block at B. J. Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area.

Government officials said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is leading an investigation into the cause of the crash, in coordination with aircraft manufacturer Boeing and engine supplier GE Aerospace.

The crash’s sole survivor, Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British national, remains hospitalised. Among the dead was Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat.

By Sabina Mammadli