In a span of just a few days, four separate India-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by major international carriers — including Air India, Lufthansa, and British Airways — were forced to abort their journeys mid-air due to technical or security-related concerns. These incidents, though unrelated, have added to growing scrutiny surrounding the aircraft model.
On Sunday, a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Hyderabad, operated by a Boeing 787-9, returned to Frankfurt midway through the flight following a suspected bomb threat. Hyderabad Air Traffic Control was informed in advance, and the aircraft landed safely without further incident.
The following day, an Air India flight AI315 from Hong Kong, using a Boeing 787-8, was compelled to return to the departure airport just 15 minutes after takeoff, due to what the airline described as a “technical issue.” No further details were provided, but all passengers were safely accommodated on alternate arrangements.
Later the same day, a British Airways flight en route to Chennai with 214 passengers on board jettisoned fuel and returned to London Heathrow after the pilots reported a potential technical problem. A British Airways spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft returned as a precaution, clarifying that there was no emergency landing involved.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, passengers aboard another Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai were asked to disembark during a scheduled stop in Kolkata, after a malfunction was identified in the left engine. Preliminary findings suggested that the aircraft may not have been properly configured for takeoff, resulting in significant delays.
These events come shortly after the Air India 787-8 crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed over 270 lives, leading to national mourning and triggering a high-level investigation. Authorities are currently reviewing the safety protocols and maintenance procedures associated with Boeing 787 aircraft in India.
Safety concerns around the 787 model are not new. In 2019, John Barnett, a former quality control manager at Boeing, alleged lapses in safety practices during 787 assembly. In early 2024, another whistleblower came forward, claiming that structural gaps in the fuselage could, in rare cases, pose catastrophic risks.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline operators have assured passengers that no aircraft will operate unless certified fully safe, and that each incident is being thoroughly investigated.
Boeing has yet to issue a consolidated statement addressing the latest round of incidents, though internal reviews and additional inspections are reportedly underway across affected fleets worldwide.
