Govt to conduct extended surveillance of all Boeing 787s: Civil Aviation Minister at 1st briefing after Air India crash

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Friday announced that it will conduct extended surveillance of all Boeing 787 aircraft currently operating in India, following the recent Air India crash near Ahmedabad airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, addressing a press briefing, said, “The government feels there is a need to investigate into the safety features of the Boeing 787 aircraft.” He confirmed that 34 Dreamliners are currently in operation across Indian carriers.

The decision comes in the wake of the crash involving an Air India Boeing 787 that went down just 2 km from the runway at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The ministry said the airport was temporarily shut down as part of emergency protocol following the incident.

Officials also confirmed that the black box of the crashed aircraft has been recovered, and the investigation will proceed according to established procedures.

The extended surveillance is expected to cover technical evaluations, safety system audits, and operational assessments of all active Boeing 787s. The move signals heightened scrutiny of aircraft safety amid growing concerns about the reliability of the Dreamliner fleet in India.

The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff with 242 people on board. The aircraft went down in Meghani Nagar, a densely populated neighbourhood just outside the perimeter of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Witnesses reported thick plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site.

Among the deceased was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (68), who was en route to London to visit his daughter. Most passengers were Indian nationals, along with 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. One person reportedly survived the crash.