"Ground Boeing 787 aircraft for electrical checks": Federation of Indian Pilots

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 12 (ANI): The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has expressed concerns over the safety of Boeing 787 aircraft, citing issues with electrical systems and maintenance.
Speaking with ANI, Captain CS Randhawa, President of FIP, called for the grounding of Boeing 787 aircraft and a comprehensive inspection of their electrical systems, citing recurring technical problems and safety concerns following recent incidents involving Air India planes.
Randhawa highlighted the organisation's long-standing request for a judicial probe into the crash of Air India flight 171, which has yet to be addressed.
"We were constrained to write this letter because, since the crash of 171 Air India, from the 16th of June till today, we have been requesting the minister to hold a judicial probe, which has not been held till today," he said.
Randhawa also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the Aircraft Investigation Bureau (AIB) is handling the inquiry, saying, "The way the AIB is conducting the inquiry of 171, we are not happy with that."
Randhawa noted that recurring problems with electrical systems pose a risk to aircraft safety. The FIP president expressed concerns over the maintenance of Air India aircraft, particularly after the airline ended its contract with AIESL, a government entity. He alleged that newly recruited engineers lack experience, which may compromise aircraft safety.
"On the other hand, there are problems with the Air India aircraft because they have now moved out of the maintenance contract with AIESL, which is a government entity," he said.
"Since that time, new engineers have been recruited from various fields; they are not as experienced, which is causing problems in aircraft maintenance," Randhawa added.
Emphasising the need for immediate corrective measures, Randhawa said, "We've requested a grounding of the 787 fleet and a thorough check for electrical systems."
Meanwhile, FIP wrote to the Minister of Civil Aviation on Friday, 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, as well as a special DGCA audit of Air India's aircraft for maintenance.
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 read, "Since June 16, 1925, we have reiterated that all B-787s in the country must be thoroughly checked for their 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 due to major technical issues, where the autopilot system suddenly failed, triggering a series of technical malfunctions. The aircraft experienced failures across critical systems, including autopilots, ILS (Instrument Landing System), Flight Directors (FDs), and Flight Control System Degradation, with no autoland capability. The pilots were unable to engage the autopilots due to electrical malfunctions; therefore, they were forced to fly manually at night and divert to Dubai."
Moreover, the FDs were not available with degraded flight control systems. The aircraft landed safely in Dubai. We commend the skill of the pilots in flying the aircraft safely to Dubai at night 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.
The FIP has urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation 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. (ANI)