New Delhi: Air India's Dreamliner, operating flight AI-301 with 231 people on board including 18 crew members, from Sydney via Melbourne to Delhi, which developed technical snags and had to be diverted to Kuala Lumpur International Airport for emergency landing on Wednesday, departed from Kuala Lumpur on Thursday evening and arrived at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport at 3:00 am on Friday.
All passengers were safe but had to be accommodated in hotels till the faults were rectified by Boeing engineers flown in to Kuala Lumpur from Hong Kong. As the flight duty limit was ending in the waiting time, new crew was flown in from India. Boeing had only recently upgraded computer software in the airline's fleet of 12 Dreamliners.
All the three onboard flight management computers (FMC) on flight AI-301 failed simultaneously. FMC controls navigation, allowing a plane to fly long distance on auto pilot.
The AI claims that the failure of FMC does not affect safety as the aircraft remains airworthy.
Air India's Dreamliner fleet of 12 has been facing a series of problems. Faults and delays cost the airlines heavily too. Besides, passengers have started protesting against their frequent harrowing experience.
Earlier, the windshield of a Dreamliner cracked in Delhi. In another mishap, an exterior fuselage panel fell
off as a 787 landed in Bangalore.
Japanese airlines also have faced glitches relating to battery with their two Dreamliners last year.
The Chicago-based manufacturer claims the wide-bodied Dreamliner is the world's most modern aircraft. It was the first to use composite materials to reduce weight and save on fuel.
Air India says it is counting on its Dreamliners to help it turn economical. It has recorded only losses since 2007. A total of 27 Dreamliners has been ordered.
Air India had while inducting the Dreamliners last year claimed it's a "dream come true." The management described the plane as the stuff dreams are made of. Passenger experience, environmental performance, lower operating cost and better economic performance were cited as advantages. It also claimed lower fuel consumption and maintenance cost would help the airlines cut losses. Dreamliner consumes 15% less fuel than today's similarly sized airplanes, AI said.
An appraisal by the state carrier had said: The Dreamliner, indeed, offers features to match our dreams and is set to be a game-changer for Air India!
(Air India Toll Free Phone Number: 1800 180 1407)
