Boeing 787 Crash Prompts Global Safety Checks, Air India Grounding Considered

Air France-KLM Group's CEO, Ben Smith, expressed confidence in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner during a speech at the Paris Air Show on Friday. He also extended condolences to the victims of the fatal crash of an Air India Express flight from Ahmedabad to London on Thursday. Smith noted that the tragic incident is still under investigation and that the airline group has 34 Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the crash, which is the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. The Indian aviation regulator has ordered Air India to conduct safety checks on its Boeing 787-8/9 fleet, and safety experts have cautioned against premature speculation about the cause of the crash.

On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft carrying 242 passengers crashed in Gujarat, resulting in at least 265 fatalities and one survivor. This is the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, and multiple countries have dispatched teams to assist in the investigation. The Indian government is considering grounding the Boeing 787 and conducting a safety review of the incident. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has instructed airlines operating Boeing 787 aircraft to inspect their planes but has not suspended their use.

Boeing's CEO, Kelly Ortberg, and the head of its commercial aircraft division, Stephanie Pope, will not attend the Paris Air Show to focus on customer support and the investigation. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which has been in service since 2011, has a strong safety record and has transported over 100 million passengers. The aircraft involved in the crash was one of the first 60 Boeing 787s produced, which required extensive rework after being delivered from Boeing's factory in Everett, Washington.

The Boeing 787 is the first mid-sized, long-range aircraft in aviation history, featuring advanced composite materials, low fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and a comfortable cabin environment. The aircraft was first delivered to All Nippon Airways in September 2011. In 2013, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 experienced a battery fire in Boston, leading to investigations by both the U.S. and Japan. Boeing made modifications to the battery, including wrapping it in insulating tape and placing it in a stainless-steel container that creates an oxygen-free environment, before the aircraft was allowed to fly again.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has faced challenges such as development delays, regulatory approval delays, and early technical issues, including battery fires. To control risks and development costs, Boeing partnered with companies willing to share the risks of investing in new aircraft projects and co-developing and producing new aircraft models. These partners shared development costs and produced aircraft components, ranging from non-critical items like cabin furniture to critical components like the tail, wings, and even the entire fuselage.

In the first nine months of his tenure as CEO, Ortberg led Boeing through an initial recovery phase, addressing cash shortages, labor unrest, and urgent safety reforms. The company recently benefited from a record order from Qatar Airways during Trump's visit, which resulted in the highest order volume in approximately 18 months. Air Lease Corporation, the largest aircraft leasing company in the U.S., noted that Boeing's aircraft are arriving on schedule and that the company's jet engine factory and supply chain are operating smoothly, with minimal disruptions.