Air India Begins Boeing 787 Modifications Following FAA Safety Directive
Air India has begun modifying Boeing 787 Dreamliners after an FAA directive flagged a potential door handle safety issue.
SociapaHQ
Air India has begun modifying some of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft following an airworthiness directive issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that identified a potential safety issue with door assist handles on some of the aircraft.
The airline is rolling out the upgrades in phases, with some of the older Boeing 787-8 aircraft having already been fitted with the required engineering modifications, sources said. The work stems from a directive issued earlier this month by the FAA that applies to certain Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft.
The FAA issued the directive after receiving reports that the door assist handles had come off at their lower attachment points during pre-flight inspections. If not rectified, such failures could pose a risk of injury to passengers, crew members or maintenance personnel while opening aircraft doors and could also affect emergency evacuations, the regulator said.
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Safety Upgrade:
Air India has looked at the order and found that the issue does not impact the safety of its flying operations, sources said. The airline is making the necessary engineering changes in accordance with the FAA’s requirements.
Air India currently operates 35 Boeing 787 Dreamliners – 26 Boeing 787-8s and nine Boeing 787-9s. Out of the 787-9 aircraft, three were inducted directly by Air India and the rest six were inducted into the fleet after the merger of the airline with Vistara. Air India has a fleet of 185 aircraft.
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The FAA directive requires affected operators to add additional retaining hardware to certain support bracket assemblies. Depending on the aircraft configuration, airlines may also have to inspect door assist handles, install warning placards or markings, replace certain components and take any corrective actions identified during inspections.
The FAA said the measures are intended to minimise the risk of handle detachment and ensure aircraft doors function properly during routine operations as well as emergency evacuations.
