On 12 June 2025, an Air India’s Boeing 787 aircraft (AI 171) took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft was headed for London. Within moments, the plane crashed into a medical college, killing over 200. Though the first crash, concerns about the Boeing 787’s safety have been reported several times across the globe. Between 2015 and 2024, Air India’s 787 flights reported 32 incidents. These incidents included engine shutdowns and flight control glitches. Non-retraction of gear and smoke inside the cabin were also reported. Other issues such as loss of communication and cracked windshields occurred. Additionally, there were cabin pressure issues, heavy turbulence, and altitude drops. Slat malfunctions, tyre bursts, and hydraulic leaks were also noted. Thus, Boeing’s Dreamliner planes had been grounded and their systems probed in various countries.
John Barnett’s case
John Barnett was one of Boeing’s own. He was a quality manager who had worked with Boeing for 30 years. He became one of its biggest critics. After retiring in 2017 on health grounds, he had filed formal complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 2019, he claimed that for achieving the same speed and efficiency with lower costs, Boeing used sub-standard parts. Reports say that he warned regulators about the same plane that crashed in Ahmedabad.
He had reported “clusters of metal slivers hanging over the wiring of flight controls.” These clusters could penetrate the wiring. This could cause problems. He also said he had uncovered serious problems with oxygen systems. This discovery could mean 25% of breathing masks would not work in an emergency. Sometimes, sub-standard parts had been taken from scrap bins. These parts were then fitted to planes to prevent delays on the Dreamliner production line.
Another controversy arose in this case with Barnett’s death. Barnett had been testifying against Boeing in a whistleblower lawsuit. He had accused Boeing of “denigrating his character and hampering his career because of the issues he pointed out. Mere weeks after testifying and while engaged in legal interviews about the case, he was found dead at his motel in Charleston, South Carolina on 9 March 2024. The cause of death was proclaimed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was discovered holding a handgun in his right hand. A note in his pick-up truck said, “I can’t do this any longer… I hope Boeing pays.”
Barnett’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that Boeing’s conduct was the clear cause of John’s death. Meanwhile, Boeing denied all charges and offered condolences in a statement.
Continuous Concerns
Critics noted that the company outsourced too many parts. These parts went to too many different contractors. There was a risk of improper alignment and assemblage.
Salehpour, an engineer at Boeing for over a decade, made allegations in January 2024. He claimed that crews failed to fill gaps when joining separately manufactured parts of the fuselage. “I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align… By jumping up and down, you’re deforming parts so that the holes align temporarily… and that’s not how you build an airplane,” Salehpour was quoted as saying by CNN. He revealed that engineers had been pressured to green-light work that had not been inspected yet.
In 2021, a similar complaint on improper assembling was flagged. As a result, both FAA and Boeing halted Dreamliners’ delivery. Boeing also admitted to falsifying documents about the 787. They informed the FAA. They stated that it “may not have completed required inspections.” These inspections were to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage. They also acknowledged that other misconduct may have occurred at the company.
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