Air India's midair emergency sparks new alarm over the safety of the Boeing Dreamliner

Core Viewpoint - The Federation of Indian Pilots has requested an investigation into all Boeing 787 Dreamliners in India following an incident where an emergency power system was unexpectedly activated midair, raising safety concerns about the aircraft model [1][4][6]. Group 1: Incident Details - An Air India flight experienced an unexpected deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT), a backup generator, shortly before landing in Birmingham, England [2][3]. - The RAT is designed to activate during critical failures, but its engagement during normal operations has raised alarms among pilots [6]. Group 2: Safety Concerns - The recent incident has reignited safety concerns regarding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, especially in light of a previous crash in June that resulted in 260 fatalities [4][5]. - The preliminary report from the June crash indicated that the engines were starved of fuel due to a switch being moved to the "cutoff" position, leading to the activation of the RAT system [5]. Group 3: Industry Response - The Federation of Indian Pilots, representing around 6,000 pilots, has formally requested an investigation into the electrical systems of all Boeing Dreamliners operating in India [3][7]. - The Civil Aviation Ministry and Boeing India have not yet provided comments regarding the incident or the investigation request [8].