Date: June 12, 2025
Flight: Air India – Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Route: Ahmedabad (India) to London Gatwick (UK)
Fatalities: Over 200 feared dead out of 242 on board
Aircraft Overview
- Model: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
- Delivery Year: 2014
- Engine Type: GE Aerospace (General Electric)
- Passenger Capacity (Typical): 248
- Operator: Air India
- Number in Air India Fleet: 47 Boeing 787s
Boeing: “We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.”
Dreamliner Safety & Design Milestones
- First Flight: 2011
- Entry into Service: 2011
- Key Innovation: Lightweight composite materials and electric systems leading to 20% better fuel efficiency
- Production: Assembled in Everett, WA & North Charleston, SC
- Total Orders: Over 2,500
- Delivered So Far: 1,189 (as of latest data)
- Design Variants:
- 787-8: Smallest, 248 seats
- 787-9: 296 seats
- 787-10: 336 seats, lowest range
🔁 Past Safety Incidents (Non-Fatal)
- July 2013 – Ethiopian Airlines 787 caught fire on the ground at Heathrow due to a short-circuited Emergency Locator Transmitter.
- January 2013 – Battery fires on ANA and JAL 787s led to global grounding of all 787s; redesigns followed.
- March 2024 – LATAM 787 mid-flight plunge injured over 50; pilot seat malfunction suspected.
Production & Corporate Challenges
- Boeing outsourced much of the 787’s components globally — a strategy that led to supply chain strain.
- Acknowledged over-extension in outsourcing, contributing to production delays and delivery backlogs.
- The 787’s innovations set industry benchmarks, prompting Airbus to develop the A350 as a competitor.
Crash Context: Air India Flight from Ahmedabad
- Crashed five minutes after takeoff, into a residential area near a medical college, intensifying ground casualties.
- This is the first-ever fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
- GE Aerospace and Boeing have pledged full cooperation with crash investigators.
This factbox will be updated as investigation findings emerge and official statements from Boeing, Air India, and Indian aviation authorities are released.