Air India crash is first for Boeing’s 787-8 Dreamliner, used by U.S. carriers
U.S. safety officials are traveling to India to investigate the cause of a crash Thursday of an Air India 787-8 Dreamliner, a wide-body aircraft in service around the world, including at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
There was no immediately known cause of the disaster, which killed more than 200 people in the plane and on the ground. It is the first crash of the 787-8 Dreamliner since it went into service in 2011.
Fort Worth-based American Airlines is one of Boeing’s largest customers of the 787-8 Dreamliner, which has an overall good safety record. More than 1,000 of the aircraft are in service by multiple carriers globally. United Airlines, which is based in Chicago with a major hub in Houston, also uses the 787-8 on many international routes.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on social media that it will lead a team of U.S. investigators flying to India.
American Airlines operates several dozen of the 787-8 Dreamliners. Boeing has delivered 17 of the 787-8s to the carrier since 2020, and American has placed orders for additional planes.
The carrier received its first 787-8 aircraft in 2015. American’s 787-8 routes include transatlantic, transpacific and long-haul domestic flights.
The Air India flight crashed during takeoff en route to London from Ahmedabad in India’s western state of Gujarat. The flight has 242 people on board. Only one survivor has been identified, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Boeing’s 787-8 is one of its bestselling aircraft. The 787 that crashed has been used by Air India since 2014.
“We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected,” Boeing said in a statement.
Thursday’s crash brings renewed attention to Boeing’s operations.
Boeing aircraft have been involved in a number of high-profile accidents in recent years. A Jeju Air flight of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed in late December, killing 179 people. Last year, a door plug fell off of a 737-9 Max aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight. In 2018 and 2019, Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft was involved in fatal crashes.
Boeing’s safety practices were the subject of a congressional hearing in September. The company is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The U.S. Department of Justice dropped its criminal case against the company in late May.
Multiple whistleblowers have come forward in recent years, raising safety concerns about how some aircraft, including the 737-Max and 787 Dreamliner, are built. The whistleblowers, two of whom have died, said improper manufacturing processes at some Boeing facilities could have catastrophic consequences.
One of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, Boeing employs about 7,304 people in Texas.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM.
