In the last three days, four India-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliners have experienced midair problems and had to interrupt their flights and return to the airport of origin.
Last Sunday, a Lufthansa flight bound for Hyderabad from Frankfurt had to turn back midway through its journey due to a suspected bomb threat. Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Hyderabad airport was informed that the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was returning to Frankfurt.
Yesterday, Air India flight AI315 had to return to Hong Kong merely 15 minutes after its departure. The airline confirmed the return of the flight, citing a “technical issue,” although no additional information was provided. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft landed safely without any complications, and alternative arrangements were made for the passengers.
On the same day, a British Airways flight with 214 passengers en route to Chennai was forced to jettison fuel and return to London after the pilots reported a potential technical problem. According to BA spokesperson, “the aircraft returned to Heathrow as a standard precaution following reports of a technical issue.” Airline official added that there was no “emergency landing.”
In a related incident, passengers aboard an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai were ordered to disembark in Kolkata on Tuesday due to a malfunction identified in the left engine during a scheduled stop, which resulted in a delay of several hours for their onward journey. According to the officials, preliminary findings indicate that the aircraft may not have been properly configured for takeoff.
This incident follows closely on the heels of an Air India 787-8 crash shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, which tragically claimed over 270 lives.
Over the last few years there were quite a few complaints, whistleblower disclosures, and concerns regarding the safety of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
In 2019, a report by the New York Times disclosed that John Barnett, a former quality manager who retired in 2017, had submitted a whistleblower complaint claiming inadequate work on the 787s.
In January 2024, another whistleblower asserted that the fuselage of the Dreamliner had faulty connections, featuring gaps that could potentially lead to it disintegrating during flight.
A bomb threat is a 787 “issue”?