Air India says plane 'well-maintained' before crash
Last updated: June 19, 2025 | 16:52
People wait for the funeral procession for Rajendra Patankar, a victim of the June 12 Air India plane crash, as a plane takes off from the airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday. AP
FILE PHOTO: An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, July 7, 2017. Picture taken July 7, 2017. To match Analysis AIR INDIA-PRIVATISATION/ REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
Air India's Boeing plane was "well-maintained" before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people on board, the airline said on Thursday.
Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 people were also left dead.
As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane's black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder — the airline said that no problems were detected with the jet before the disaster.
"The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023," Air India said in a statement.
"Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight," the airline said.
Relatives of Rajendra Patankar, victim of the Air India plane crash, grieve during his funeral procession in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday. AP
The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad moments after takeoff. Initial checks since the crash on Air India's Dreamliners "did not reveal any major safety concerns", the country's civil aviation regulator said Tuesday.
India's aviation investigative unit said Thursday the probe was "progressing steadily."
"Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway," the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement.
Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.
The airline said on Thursday the pilots were accomplished flyers. "The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft," it said. "First Officer Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of flying experience."
While investigators try to piece together what went wrong, families of dozens of victims are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified.
As of Thursday, 210 victims have been identified through DNA testing, state health minister Rushikesh Patel said.
