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Deadly Air India crash deepens Boeing’s mounting troubles just months after Jeju Air disaster

Published: 13 Jun. 2025, 10:12

A view shows the wreckage of the tail section of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India crashed on Thursday with more than 240 people on board, reigniting concerns about Boeing’s safety record amid a string of recent incidents involving its aircraft.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but the fact that the aircraft involved was a 787 Dreamliner is significant. Boeing introduced the Dreamliner in 2009 as its flagship medium- to long-haul aircraft. Until now, it had never been involved in a fatal crash. Today, around 70 airlines worldwide fly the model.

In March 2024, a Latam Airlines Dreamliner flying from Sydney to Auckland experienced a sudden and steep descent mid-flight. The plane landed safely and no injuries were reported.

While different models have been involved, the Air India crash follows a troubling pattern of Boeing-related accidents in recent years.

In December 2024, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed at Muan International Airport in Korea, killing 179 people. It was the deadliest aviation accident in the country’s recent history.

Forensic experts from the National Forensic Service, police forensic teams and firefighters conduct an on-site inspection of the Jeju Air aircraft that crashed at Muan International Airport on Jan. 4, the seventh day after the crash. [YONHAP]

In January 2024, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 lost part of its fuselage — including a window — midair after departing from Portland International Airport in Oregon. The aircraft was cruising at about 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) when the incident occurred. No one was injured, but the event severely damaged Boeing’s credibility and led to a change in leadership.

The 737 Max 8, another variant in Boeing’s lineup, was the model involved in two high-profile disasters: the Lion Air crash in Indonesia in 2018 that killed 189 people, and the Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2019 that killed 157. Both incidents led to a worldwide grounding of the Max series for 18 months.

Boeing has faced internal turmoil as well. In September 2024, roughly 33,000 workers went on strike, halting production for nearly two months. It was the first labor action taken against the company in 16 years.

Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft VT-ANB is pictured near Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy, on Aug. 19, 2017. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

In August 2024, Boeing appointed Kelly Ortberg, a veteran engineer, as its new CEO in a bid to restore trust and stability. He ended the strike and last month negotiated a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice that allowed Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for the 2018 Lion Air crash.

Despite those efforts, Ortberg’s tenure has been rocked by yet another catastrophe just weeks before his first anniversary as CEO.

"Boeing’s troubled era has dimmed the prospects of a pre-eminent American manufacturer," The Associated Press said in its report.

Search and recovery teams work through the rubble of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12. [UP/YONHAP]

Immediately after the crash, Ortberg issued a statement pledging full cooperation with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

"A Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau,” he said. "I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support."

The company said it would wait for Indian authorities to release official findings before commenting further.

Following the crash, Boeing’s shares dropped nearly 5 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the aircraft carried 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 cabin crew members. According to a statement from Air India on X, the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 from Britain, seven from Portugal and one Canadian. No Korean nationals were on board.

A total of 241 passengers on the India Air plane were killed, according to Air India. One passenger who was thrown from the plane survived, The Associated Press reported.

At least five locals in the residential area were killed when the plane hit, according to a medical association officer cited by AP.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]