Japan urges airlines to inspect Boeing 787s following Air India crash

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has directed Japanese airlines operating Boeing 787 aircraft to carry out inspections in the wake of the deadly crash involving an Air India 787-8.

The instruction, issued on June 12, requests All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and JAL’s low-cost arm Zipair Tokyo to examine the engines and airframes of their Boeing 787 fleets, Caliber.Az reports per Japanese media.

However, the ministry confirmed that it will not ground these planes at this stage.

At a press briefing, Transport Minister Hiromasa Nakano said: “We will take necessary measures by collecting information and considering the development of investigations” conducted by Indian authorities.

Note that, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, tragically crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad, India.

The aircraft, carrying 242 people—including 230 passengers and 12 crew members—crashed into a hostel block of B. J. Medical College. The crash resulted in the deaths of 241 individuals on board and at least 28 people on the ground, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history. 

The sole survivor, Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British national seated in 11A, was hospitalised and described hearing a loud noise shortly after takeoff before the crash occurred. Among the victims was Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met with the survivor and the injured. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is leading the investigation, with support from Boeing and GE Aerospace.

By Aghakazim Guliyev