Air India crash becomes first full loss of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The deadly crash of an Air India long-range aircraft on Thursday marks the first-ever complete loss of a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner, shining a spotlight on the US planemaker’s most advanced aircraft.

The plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, was almost 12 years old, and the jet was powered by two General Electric Co. GEnx engines, one of two turbine options on that model. Air India had 34 787s in service at the time of the accident, which occurred shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.

Boeing introduced the 787 more than a decade ago with several key innovations — both in terms of how the aircraft is assembled and the materials it uses. The aircraft includes lightweight composite materials that help cut fuel efficiency, and the cabin has larger luggage compartments and mood lighting. Boeing also relied on a global network of suppliers for parts. Parts of the fuselage come from Japan and Italy and wing tips come from South Korea.

The aircraft, a crucial source of cash for Boeing, is now pieced together at a factory in Charleston, South Carolina, the only main assembly line away from its major production hub in the Seattle area. Earlier units, including the one involved in the crash, were built in Seattle.

Boeing designed the 787 at a time when arch-rival Airbus SE was going the other way with its huge A380 double-decker, with both companies assuming diverging trends for global air travel: Airbus bet on major trunk routes to congested airports that only a giant plane like the A380 could absorb, while Boeing threw its weight behind the concept of point-to-point travel. In the end, Boeing’s rationale turned out to be accurate, and Airbus stopped making the A380 after sales sputtered.

Today, there are 1,148 Boeing 787 aircraft in service globally, with an average age of 7.5 years, according to data compiled by Cirium. The largest 787 operator is ANA Holdings Inc. with 86 units, followed by United Airlines Holdings Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. 

Qatar Airways just ordered 130 additional 787s during President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the region. 

Boeing said last month that over a billion passengers have flown on the jet in its 14 years in operation, a record time for a widebody model to reach that milestone. The company’s most popular aircraft remains the smaller 737 model, while the larger 777 is awaiting certification of an upgraded variant, the 777X. 

While the aircraft remains hugely popular, it hasn’t been free of past issues. Less than two years after the plane was introduced in 2011, Boeing was forced to ground the entire fleet to check for flaws with its lithium batteries that were at risk of overheating and igniting. 

Last year, a Boeing engineer alleged the company took manufacturing shortcuts on the Dreamliner in order to ease production bottlenecks, a charge the company has denied.

Factory workers wrongly measured and filled gaps that can occur when airframe segments of the 787 are joined together, according to Sam Salehpour, a longtime Boeing employee who made his concerns public last year.