 "An Air India plane carrying over 250 passengers has crashed in Ahmedabad. Representational image. PTI")
In a devastating blow to Boeing’s Dreamliner safety record, an Air India Boeing 787-8 operating as Flight AI 171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025. The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, lost contact with air traffic control just minutes after departure and plummeted into the Meghani Nagar residential area, setting off a fireball visible for miles . The crash marks the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 since its commercial debut in 2011.
The flight reportedly carried more than 230 passengers and crew . Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion followed by thick smoke and flames engulfing homes in the densely populated neighbourhood. Emergency response teams, including the National Disaster Response Force and local fire units, were swiftly dispatched.
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Authorities confirmed the aircraft issued a Mayday call moments before disappearing from radar at an altitude of approximately 625 feet. While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, it is unclear if the aircraft’s engines failed due to some reasons.
Air India, now managed by Tata Group, expressed deep sorrow and has launched a joint investigation with India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Boeing released a brief statement saying it is “aware of the incident and is in contact with Air India and investigative authorities.” This tragic event abruptly ends the Dreamliner’s long-standing reputation for an impeccable safety record across a global fleet of over 1,600 aircraft.
The Dreamliner vision
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was conceived in the early 2000s as part of Boeing’s strategy to revolutionise long-haul air travel. Originally announced in 2003 under the name “7E7,” the aircraft was renamed the 787 Dreamliner in 2005 and aimed to bring together cutting-edge technology, improved fuel efficiency and enhanced passenger comfort.
With rising fuel costs and increasing environmental concerns, airlines were eager for an aircraft that could fly long distances with fewer emissions and lower operating costs.
A turbulent development
Despite the strong market demand, the development of the 787 was far from smooth. Boeing adopted an ambitious global outsourcing model, contracting much of the design and manufacturing work to suppliers around the world. This strategy was intended to cut costs and speed up production but instead led to major coordination problems and quality control issues. Suppliers frequently missed deadlines or delivered incomplete components causing cascading delays throughout the programme.
Originally scheduled for its first delivery in 2008, the Dreamliner faced over three years of delays. The aircraft finally took its maiden flight on December 15, 2009, and the first unit was delivered to All Nippon Airways (ANA) in September 2011. By then, Boeing had already spent billions over budget and had to reassess much of its supply chain strategy.
Battery fires and grounding
No sooner had the aircraft entered service than it encountered one of its most serious safety crises. In early 2013, several incidents involving the lithium-ion batteries used in the 787’s electrical systems raised alarms. One ANA flight was forced to make an emergency landing after its battery overheated and a parked Japan Airlines 787 caught fire in Boston.
These incidents led to the worldwide grounding of the entire 787 fleet—an unprecedented move for a modern, in-service jetliner. Investigators traced the problem to thermal runaway in the lithium-ion batteries, which could catch fire and burn uncontrollably. Boeing worked closely with the FAA to redesign the battery enclosure, add fire containment measures and improve safety monitoring. The aircraft returned to service in April 2013 after extensive retrofitting.
Though no lives were lost in the battery incidents, they severely damaged the Dreamliner’s image and highlighted the risks of pushing the technological envelope too far without adequate testing and oversight.
Continued quality issues
Even after resolving the battery crisis, Boeing struggled with recurring production problems, particularly at its North Charleston, South Carolina facility. Between 2020 and 2022, the company paused deliveries multiple times due to structural defects, including improperly joined fuselage sections, surface wrinkling and issues with the horizontal stabiliser.
The Federal Aviation Administration stepped in with increased oversight, slowing down the certification and delivery process. At the height of the crisis, more than 100 completed aircraft sat idle awaiting fixes. These setbacks not only delayed fleet expansion for customers but also deepened Boeing’s financial woes following the separate 737 MAX crisis.
A strong safety record — until now
Despite these developmental and production setbacks, the Boeing 787 maintained an enviable safety record for over a decade. No fatal crashes were recorded from its entry into service in 2011 until June 2025. Incidents involving the aircraft had been relatively minor: engine shutdowns, in-flight system malfunctions and occasional emergency landings. The 787 weathered lightning strikes, bird strikes and hard landings, all without causing loss of life.
Among the most serious incidents before the Ahmedabad crash was a fire aboard an Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner parked at London Heathrow in 2013, traced to a fault in an emergency locator transmitter. Other operational issues, such as engine corrosion in specific Rolls-Royce variants, led to temporary groundings or reduced performance, but these were managed through maintenance bulletins and fleet-wide inspections. However, the aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday was not powered by Rolls-Royce engines, a source said.
Variants and global reach
The 787 is available in three variants: the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10. The 787-8 is the smallest and was the launch model, capable of flying roughly 7,355 nautical miles. The 787-9 offers more range and seating, becoming the most popular version with airlines. The 787-10 is the largest but has a shorter range, designed for high-capacity medium- to long-haul routes.
With over 1,600 units delivered or on order, the Dreamliner serves as a backbone for many global carriers including United Airlines, British Airways, ANA, Qatar Airways and Air India. It has enabled airlines to open up new point-to-point routes, bypassing traditional hub-and-spoke models. The Dreamliner’s lower fuel-burn and reduced emissions continue to make it a preferred option for environmentally conscious operations.
Boeing’s troubled history with crashes
While the Boeing 787 Dreamliner had maintained a flawless fatality-free record until the 2025 Air India tragedy, Boeing as a company has endured a troubled legacy with aircraft crashes, particularly in recent years. The most infamous were the two catastrophic crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX — Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019 — which together claimed 346 lives.
These disasters were attributed to a faulty automated flight control system (MCAS) and subsequent investigations revealed lapses in Boeing’s safety culture, regulatory oversight and internal communication.
The resulting global grounding of the 737 MAX for nearly two years not only shook public confidence but also triggered lawsuits, congressional hearings and billions in financial penalties.
Additionally, earlier Boeing models such as the 737 Classic and 747 have been involved in numerous accidents over decades, although many were linked to operational or environmental factors rather than inherent design flaws.
Boeing’s reputation has since been on a slow path to recovery, but the Dreamliner crash in 2025 may reopen long-standing concerns about the company’s approach to innovation, quality control and accountability.
Future after Ahmedabad
The Air India crash is a tragic and historic turning point for the Dreamliner programme. Boeing will now face fresh scrutiny from regulators, airline customers and the public. Investigators will examine everything from flight data recorders to maintenance logs and engine telemetry. With India’s aviation authorities leading the inquiry and international observers likely to join, findings will have wide-ranging implications for Boeing and the global aviation industry.
As the aviation community awaits answers, the incident serves as a sobering reminder: even the most advanced aircraft with flawless records are not immune to catastrophe. For the families affected, the tragedy is immeasurable. For Boeing, this marks not just a loss of life, but a blow to the very aircraft that symbolised its future.