Air India modifies Boeing 787s after FAA directive on door assist handle issue

Air India is carrying out phased modifications to certain Boeing 787 Dreamliners following a US FAA airworthiness directive on door assist handles. The airline said flight operations and safety remain unaffected while upgrades are completed across affected aircraft

New Delhi: Air India is carrying out certain modifications in some of its Boeing 787 planes to address a possible issue with door assist handles, sources said against the backdrop of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issuing an airworthiness directive regarding the issue.

FAA, earlier this month, adopted the directive for certain Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 models after reports of door assist handles pulled loose from their lower attach point in the doorway support bracket during pre-flight checks.

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The watchdog has asked airlines to make modifications in certain models since detachment of door assist handles could cause injuries to passengers, crew or maintenance personnel when opening the door.

Currently, Air India has a fleet of 35 Dreamliners, comprising 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and 9 Boeing 787-9s. Out of the 787-9s, 3 are new, and the remaining 6 are from erstwhile Vistara. Air India has a total of 185 planes, including narrow-bodies and wide-bodies.

One of the sources said the airline is aware of the FAA’s airworthiness directive and there is no impact on the current flight operations or safety aspects.

In line with the directive, Air India is carrying out the necessary modifications in a phased manner, and modifications have been completed for some of the legacy aircraft, the source told PTI. Details about the number of Air India Dreamliners that need modifications could not be ascertained.

There were no official comments from Air India and Boeing. According to the FAA, the airworthiness directive was being issued to address the issue of door assist handles becoming detached, which could cause injuries to passengers, crew, or maintenance personnel when opening the door, and could limit exit from the aeroplane during a time-limited emergency evacuation.

To address the issue, the FAA has directed installation of certain parts in the affected Dreamliners. “This AD (Airworthiness Directive) requires, for certain aeroplanes, installing a new retainer above the lower keyway of the support bracket assembly and installing a placard on certain support bracket assemblies or marking the part, and for certain aeroplanes, requires an inspection of the forward and aft door assist handles and applicable on-condition actions,” the FAA said.

For certain other aeroplanes, the FAA said a new retainer above the lower keyway of the support bracket assembly at certain locations and reidentifying the support bracket assembly should be installed. IndiGo also has five Dreamliners in its fleet, but those are leased from Norwegian carrier Norse Atlantic. The Boeing 787s are also known as Dreamliners.