In a recent interview, Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran provided important updates about the engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that tragically crashed last week, killing at least 270 people. According to Chandrasekaran, one engine on the ill-fated flight was new, installed in March 2025, while the other engine was last serviced in 2023 and was not due for its next maintenance check until December 2025.
Speaking to Indian news channel Times Now, Chandrasekaran emphasized that both engines had “clean” maintenance histories and cautioned against premature speculation. “I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that,” he said, referring to the ongoing analysis of the aircraft’s black boxes recovered from the crash site.
The flight, AI171, was a London-bound service that crashed less than a minute after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport in western India. Investigators are meticulously examining flight data and cockpit audio to reconstruct the final moments and determine the exact cause of the incident.
Aviation expert Kishore Chinta, formerly with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, explained that an engine’s age is not always indicative of its condition, particularly for the Genx-1B engines used on Boeing 787-8 aircraft. These engines feature advanced Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) systems, which continuously monitor engine health and performance, allowing maintenance decisions to be based on real-time data rather than fixed schedules.
Chinta noted that some engine parts, called Life Limited Parts (LLPs), do have defined lifespans measured in cycles—where each engine start and shutdown counts as one cycle.
In the wake of the crash, Air India has announced a temporary 15% reduction in its international operations involving wide-body aircraft until mid-July. The airline cited “compounding circumstances,” including enhanced safety checks and heightened caution from crew and ground staff, compounded by tensions in the Middle East.
Air India further stated that safety inspections have been completed on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, all of which have been cleared for service. Additional checks on the remaining planes are ongoing, and enhanced safety protocols are also being applied to the Boeing 777 fleet.
India’s aviation regulator mandated these extra inspections as a precautionary measure following the crash.
Chandrasekaran also highlighted the challenging environment Air India faces as it strives to transform from a struggling state-owned carrier to a privately-owned airline under the ownership of Tata Sons—a conglomerate that also owns well-known brands like Tetley Tea and Jaguar Land Rover.
The investigation into the crash continues, with authorities awaiting more definitive insights from the black box data.
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