B787 and Air India - Curt Lewis

Senior officials unhappy with Air India's handling of glitches in Dreamliner fleet 

NEW DELHI: Murmurs of discontent have broken out over Air India's handling of the issue of persistent technical glitches, including occasional engine failure, in newly acquired Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, with senior officials pointing the finger at Rohit Nandan, who served as the chairman and managing director of the debt-laden national carrier till last month. 

Although Air India has turned down the American manufacturer's suggestion to opt for the 787-9 variant for the six planes that remain to be delivered as part of the contract by the end of next year, it now appears that Nandan pushed for considering the alternative and directed re-examination of the swapping proposal after it had been shot down by at least eight senior officials, including functional directors. 

Further, according to official documents, reviewed by ET, these officials also questioned Boeing's "intentions" for a swap and feared that the slots vacated by Air India could be offered to competitors. 

The airline's management was also cold towards seeking compensation from Boeing, or stopping delivery of aircraft, on account of repeated component failures, since 15-20% of the fleet is generally grounded, according to an official. 

In a meeting on August 13, Air India officials complained to Boeing executives that there are as many as 23 defective components in the 787 aircraft that are affecting the performance of its fleet. The manufacturer accepted that there were issues with the planes, a person privy to the details of the meeting said. 

Air India had in 2005 placed an order for acquiring 68 aircraft, including 27 Dreamliners, of which 21 aircraft have already been received and another six are expected to join the fleet by 2016.