The "groundbreaking" Boeing aircraft involved in the Air India accident

Share and Follow

The Air India plane that crashed, killing hundreds, was a “breakthrough” model by manufacturer Boeing.

Only one of the 242 passengers on board is known to have survived in what is the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.

The disaster, involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, comes as US manufacturer Boeing tries to rebuild public trust after a series of crises in recent years.

Some experts say the latest crash involving a Boeing jet is unlikely to impact the same way as previous crises, and that it’s unlikely the aircraft manufacturer is at fault — although investigators will be examining every possibility.

What is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

It’s one of Boeing’s best-selling aircraft, according to the manufacturer, which also says it has carried more than one billion passengers since it first debuted in 2011 and has unlocked more than 400 new non-stop routes around the world.

Ali Elham, a professor at the University of Southampton’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, described it as being a “huge breakthrough in aircraft design” when it launched.

“The combination of new engines, improved aerodynamics, and significant weight reduction — largely due to the use of composite materials — resulted in notable reductions in both fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft,” he wrote in a Q&A with The Conversation.

“Another feature was the greatly increased electrification of the plane, with more use of batteries for onboard power systems.”

Has the Boeing 787 Dreamliner been involved in incidents before?

The widebody 787 planes, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service, have never had a fatal crash until the Air India incident.

They were grounded in 2013 due to battery issues, but no one was reported injured.

Since introducing the Dreamliner into service in 2011, Boeing has had to do some reworks, mainly due to assembly faults and manufacturing quality issues.

The plane was also scrutinised in an April 2024 US Senate hearing that aired criticism from a whistleblower who testified that he was ostracised after reporting serious manufacturing defects on the 787 and the 777.

Lawyers representing the whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, called on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to release its findings about the allegations.

“The FAA must assure the public that the Boeing 787 is safe,” said lawyer Lisa Banks.

“While it may take months or years to determine the cause of today’s tragic Air India crash, we know that there is an important report sitting on a desk at the FAA about the 787 that needs to become public.”

The jet involved in the Air India crash was delivered to the airline in 2014 and had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, according to consultancy Cirium.

A map showing where a plane crashed shortly after taking off. An inset shows the city of Ahmedabad in India's west.

Only one of the 242 passengers on board is known to have survived in what is the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade. Source: SBS News

What troubles has Boeing faced in recent years?

There were two fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019 that involved planes the manufacturer had only recently delivered to airlines.

A central factor in both MAX crashes was the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, a flight handling system that badly malfunctioned, pointing to design flaws.

Boeing’s narrowbody 737 MAX jets were grounded for years following the fatal crashes and have faced years of scrutiny and production delays.

Before the crash, airline executives had voiced greater confidence in Boeing’s rebound in deliveries and in CEO Kelly Ortberg’s leadership after years of reputational damage for the planemaker.

How might the Air India crash affect Boeing?

The crash is likely to be a topic of discussion at next week’s Paris Air Show, which typically carries a celebratory vibe as planemakers announce big orders and showcase their products.

This is despite the fact that some air safety experts said at this time there is no reason to think a manufacturing or design problem was the cause.

The biggest challenge for Boeing could be getting lay people to understand that while a jet it made crashed, it is unlikely that Boeing is at fault, noted John Nance, an aviation safety expert and former commercial pilot. Of course, accident investigators will consider every possibility, he added.

An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft at London’s Heathrow Airport in 2022. Boeing says the Drealiner is one of its best-selling aircraft. Source: Getty, NurPhoto / Nicolas Economou

Richard Aboulafia, managing director at consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, said there is no indication of a 787 design flaw.

“There’s inevitably fear,” Aboulafia said of Thursday’s stock market reaction, when Boeing shares closed about 4.8 per cent lower.

“It’s a tragedy but it’s unlikely to affect perceptions of the 787 because there’s nothing known at this point and it’s got a very good record,” he said.

Jeff Windau, an analyst at financial analytics firm Edward Jones, said the crash could prompt increase scrutiny on manufacturing and quality procedures, but the company did not currently feel the crash would have long-term impacts on Boeing’s production.

Paul Charles, CEO of the PC Agency, a London-based luxury travel consultancy said: “Previous production issues at Boeing will be very much on people’s minds at the moment and the relatively new leadership at Boeing needs to be visible in the days to come.”

What has Boeing said about the Air India crash?

“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad,” Ortberg said, adding in a statement that he told Air India’s chair Boeing would support the investigation.

In a message to employees, seen by the Reuters news agency, Ortberg said he and Boeing commercial aeroplanes head Stephanie Pope would not attend next week’s Paris Air Show.

“As our industry prepares to start the Paris Air Show, Stephanie (Pope) and I have both canceled plans to attend so we can be with our team, and focus on our customer and the investigation,” Ortberg wrote, according to Reuters.