Will the Air India crash lead to the grounding of the Dreamliner series and disrupt travel?

Mumbai: Thursday's crash of Air India flight AI171 has sent shockwaves throughout the country. This is the first time the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has crashed, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. 

Mint breaks down the impact of the crash.  

Also read: Air India Plane Crash: Airline announces 2 relief flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Ahmedabad for relatives and AI staff

1. What happened? 

An Air India flight, AI 171, an Ahmedabad to London flight, crashed within minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, according to an Air India statement on X. The aircraft, which had 242 passengers and crew members, was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The plane crashed into a hostel building for doctors, about 1.4 km southwest of the runway end, according to Aviation Safety Network. Subsequently, the Ahmedabad airport was shut down.  

2. What happens next? 

Experts maintain that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), an independent bureau under the ministry of civil aviation, will investigate the crash. The first step is to recover the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, which appear to be reasonably intact at this time. The US Federal Aviation Administration stated that it has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.  

Also read: ‘Investigation will take time’: What Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said on Ahmedabad plane crash

3. Any impact on Air India? 

As of 14 April 2025, Air India’s fleet comprises a total of 198 aircraft. This includes 34 Dreamliners, comprising 27 Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has the power to ground the remaining 26 Boeing 787-8, which will cause Air India to take a hit. The air carrier may face operational disruptions if these widebody jets are grounded. "It is the worst day of my professional career," Tata Sons Chair N. Chandrasekaran told CNBC-TV18 on Thursday.

4. What is Boeing’s response? 

Boeing has said it is in touch with Air India. On 30 April, the US plane maker highlighted the success of the Dreamliner series in a press release, noting that its 1,175 planes had carried 1 billion passengers in 14 years—a record that surpasses any other wide-body commercial aircraft in history.  

Also read: Air India plane crash: London-bound flight with 242 onboard crashes near Ahmedabad; Cop says ‘204 bodies and 41 injured’

5. What happens to air traffic? 

Indigo and Air India together hold a majority of 90% of India’s aviation market. Any grounding of the 787 Dreamliner series would further lead to plane shortages, especially for long-haul routes. On Wednesday, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities stated that Indian carriers were already facing a plane shortage, which was evident in the price rise on routes connecting six metropolitan cities. All of this, including a potential grounding of the Dreamliner series, could lead to an increase in airfare.