Unlock Editor's Digest Lock for Free
FT editor Roula Khalaf will select your favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
India's aviation safety regulators say they have not discovered “major safety concerns” during inspections of Air India's Boeing 787 aircraft following the fatal crash crash on a flight from Ahmedabad to London on Thursday.
Authorities announced a series of safety measures (the first loss of the 787) after the collision shortly after takeoff, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and dozens on the ground.
The regulator issued a statement in a press release following a meeting between officials from the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and senior officials from Air India and its sister airline Air India Express.
Among the measures taken were additional pre-lighting checks on the aircraft and a “enhanced safety inspections” programme, which have not yet been completed on all 787 Air India aircraft.
“Recent surveillance conducted on Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns,” the statement said. “We have found that the aircraft and related maintenance systems are in compliance with existing safety standards.”
Regulators added that 24 of Air India's remaining 787 have successfully completed the mandated “enhanced safety inspections” after crashes, with two others expected to be completed by the end of Tuesday.
The statement does not mention the preliminary findings from the investigation into last week's crashes, which are being conducted by the DGCA, with the support of the UK's Aviation Accident Investigation Unit and the US National Transportation Safety Board.
Recommended
Independent experts have questioned the location of the plane's wing flap, the thrust generated by the engine, and why the landing gear fell in seconds before crashing.
Boeing's shares rose following the India announcement, but then fell slightly that day. Stocks are still down about 6% since the day before the crash.
Air India declined to comment on the DGCA statement.
The 787 is one of the most commercially successful aircraft in history, with over 1,175 being delivered to airlines around the world since it first flew in 2009. This design introduced many innovations, including the use of carbon materials rather than aluminum for the fuselage.
