What the first fatal 787 Dreamliner crash means for Boeing

In April, Boeing’s newly-appointed chief executive felt sufficiently confident in the company’s progress to write to his 170,000 employees expressing optimism after nearly a decade of crisis. He suggested that 2025 should be seen as “our turnaround year”. Some six weeks later, the American aviation giant finds itself once more under scrutiny for its safety record after one of its 787 Dreamliner jets – one of the most successful models in Boeing’s history – crashed on take-off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad. The 11-year-old Air India plane, carrying 242 people, appeared to lose height moments after leaving the runway in Ahmedabad, leading to a catastrophic collision and fireball. (Photo: Central Industrial Security Force/AFP)

Catastrophic collision

The 11-year-old Air India plane, carrying 242 people, appeared to lose height moments after leaving the runway in Ahmedabad, leading to a catastrophic collision and fireball. The disaster is the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787, and initial findings as to what happened – currently the subject of unproven speculation ranging from a catastrophic bird strike to possible overloading – will take several days to emerge. The definitive cause is likely to take months to establish. However, aviation experts said that even if – as is statistically likely – it eventually emerges that the horrific demise of Flight AI171 had nothing to do with the design or manufacture of the aircraft, Boeing faces yet another period in the shadow of questions about the reliability of its products.

Boeing’s troubles

Boeing saw its share price fall by as much as eight per cent in the aftermath of the crash. In a statement, it said: “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them.” The Seattle-based behemoth has spent years dealing with the corrosive aftermath of two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019 (pictured), which left 346 people dead and were blamed on a catalogue of failings at the company. The tragedies cost Boeing an estimated $20bn (£15bn) in fines, legal costs and compensation. More recently, the company suffered another high-profile lapse when a poorl secured panel on a 737 Max 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines blew out in mid-air, causing a rapid decompression and injuries to a number of passengers. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP)

A bitter blow

But last month, Boeing appeared to have begun to put these dark episodes behind it, when a deal with the US Justice Department of Justice was agreed which will allow it to avoid criminal prosecution for the 2018 and 2019 accidents in return for a payment of $1.1bn. A US-based aviation consultant, who works closely with Boeing, told The i Paper that the latest incident will be regarded as a bitter blow, even though some 53 per cent of air disasters are put down to pilot error, with mechanical failings accounting for 21 per cent of crashes. (Photo: AP/Lindsey Wasson, File)

A sense the company was turning a corner

The consultant said: “This is in so many ways the last thing that Boeing will have wanted to see happen. There has been a sense that the company may finally be turning a corner after such a long period of questioning and low morale. Statistically, it is highly unlikely that what happened in Ahmedabad will be found to be a design flaw with the 787. But what will worry any aircraft manufacturer most is any perception that their product is unsafe. Boeing will likely have to redouble its efforts in this regard.” (Photo: Amit Dave/Reuters)

An absence of evidence 787s are unsafe

Indeed, there is currently an absence of evidence that the twin-aisle 787 marque is unsafe. Barely a month ago, Boeing announced that the global fleet of 1,175 Dreamliners had carried more than a billion passengers and completed nearly five million flights in less than 14 years of service – making the aircraft the fastest widebody commercial jet to reach such milestones in history. Every day, 787s make 2,100 flights a day, carrying 480,000 passengers, and the aircraft is used by 79 carriers worldwide, including nearly all major long-haul airlines. And, until the awful events at Ahmedabad, none of those flights had resulted in a loss of life. (Photo: NurPhoto via Getty)

Whistleblower concerns

And yet, the model and its manufacturer have faced a number of questions about reliability and build quality. In its second year of service, a series of fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries on the jets resulted in the global 787 fleet being grounded – the first such suspension of operations for an entire model since 1979. More recently, whistleblowers have raised concerns about the manner in which fuselage sections for the Dreamliner are joined together. Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer for more than a decade, last year warned that aircraft sections could come apart in mid-air due to fatigue after thousands of flights. Boeing said it was “fully confident” in the model and was carrying out its own comprehensive regime of testing which showed there was “no immediate flight safety issue”. (Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty)

Crashes like AI171 are 'extraordinarily rare'

The claims followed similar concerns raised by another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, about the manufacturing process for the 787. Barnett, a quality control manager, was last year found dead at his home in South Carolina, where the Dreamliner is assembled, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. More broadly, the aviation industry is at pains to underline that catastrophic crashes such as the fate of AI171 are extraordinarily rare. Figures produced by industry body IATA showed there were seven fatal accidents in 2024 out of 40.6 million flights, leading to the deaths of 244 people. (Photo: Amit Dave/Reuters)

Designed as the 'cutting edge of aviation safety'

Indeed, Boeing designed the Dreamliner to be at the cutting edge of aviation safety, comfort and efficiency as it fights out its long battle with Europe’s Airbus for dominance in the commercial aircraft sector. The 787 represents a number of innovations in aircraft manufacturing, including the use of composite materials such a fibreglass to make the plane significantly lighter than previous generations of passenger jets. When paired with ultra-efficient engines, the 787 uses about 20 per cent less fuel than its predecessors – a vital and attractive saving for airlines. The Dreamliner also represents a less successful decision by Boeing to outsource production of the aircraft to a global supply chain of some 50 different manufacturersm in an attempt by the company to streamline costs while maintaining stringent standards. Experts say the company has subsequently had to put up with delays and complications in its supply chain. And yet, on another level, the Boeing 787 has been a dramatic success for a troubled yet enduringly iconic brand. (Photo: James D. Morgan/Getty)

The Dreamliner: a gamble by Boeing

The Dreamliner represented a gamble by Boeing that airlines and their passengers would want services on efficient planes flying directly between destinations – so-called “point to point” travel – rather than connecting at major hub airports like London’s Heathrow. The company’s big rival, Airbus, instead opted for the hub model and built the A380 – the double-decker jet which hastened the demise of the Boeing 747. A decade on, Airbus has ceased production of the A380 while Boeing can claim a full order book for the 787, with some 2,000 aircraft due to be delivered over its lifetime. The aviation consultant said: “The fact is that the Dreamliner has been one of the most, if not the most, successful jet that Boeing ever produced.” (Photo: Getty)