Air India Ahmedabad Crash Is First Fatal Accident For Boeing's 787 Dreamliner

Air India's UK-bound flight crash in Ahmedabad is the first time an aircraft from Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner fleet got involved in a fatal accident. Aircrafts belonging to the fleet have been involved in some unfortunate events in the past. However, none have been as deadly.

Air India flight 171, carrying a total of 242 passengers, was bound to Gatwick Airport in London on Thursday afternoon. It crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

In a statement, Boeing Co said it was aware of the incident and trying to gather more information.

In March 2024, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft was involved in an incident, wherein a LATAM Airline flight went into a sudden mid-air dive, causing injuries of more than 50 passengers.

Following this incident, Federal Aviation Administration had directed for inspection of all aircrafts belonging to the 787 Dreamliner fleet operating worldwide in mid August, Reuters reported. The regulator called for the inspection as it had received reports of similar incidents.

The 787 Dreamliner is the best selling wide-body product of Boeing. The US-based aircraft maker claims that it has carried one billion passengers worldwide and is faster compared to other wide-body aircrafts available in the world. Its advanced technology also helps in usage of fuel by 25%, as per data on Boeing's website.

The 787 Dreamliner fleet has helped unlock 425 new destinations, Boeing states.

During pre-market trading, the company's share price slumped as much as 8%. On Wednesday, the aircraft manufacturer's stock settled 0.80% down at $214. The stock has been declining for two days.