Continuing the spate of mishaps and raising security doubts, an Air India Dreamliner arriving from london made a ‘priority landing’ at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Tuesday morning.
The pilot of flight AI-116 requested a ‘priority landing’ after warning lights in the cockpit indicated problems with the flight’s braking system. The aircraft with 174 passengers onboard and 10 crew members landed safely at the Delhi Airport. The incident took place just a couple of days before the national carrier gears itself to take delivery of the 10 Dreamliner aircraft this week.
Aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered a probe into the incident. Although Air India downplayed the incident by calling it a ‘false alarm,’ the incident raises new concerns about the high-tech jet that has suffered a string of mishaps since its introduction two years ago. The mishap comes just a day after the windshield of another Dreamliner in Air India’s fleet cracked while landing at Melbourne airport.
The 787 Dreamliner has suffered a series of glitches since it was introduced, the worst being incidents involving overheating batteries that prompted regulators to ground the entire fleet in January. Flights resumed in April. last month, the body panel fell off an Air India Dreamliner that was headed to Bengaluru from Delhi. Air India, which currently operates nine of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircrafts, is scheduled to take delivery of a 10th one by the end of this week. The spate of glitches plaguing the Dreamliners poses serious doubts over the national carrier’s modernisation and turn-around plan as it has placed an order of 27 Dreamliners with Boeing.