Air India crash marks first-ever “fatal hull-loss accident” for Boeing 787 Dreamliner

New Delhi: Today’s tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad has made aviation history for all the wrong reasons: this is the first time ever that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been destroyed in an accident that also claimed lives.

Since entering service in 2011, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has flown millions of passengers around the world and earned a reputation as one of the safest and most advanced passenger jets. 

Despite a handful of technical incidents and safety investigations over the years, the Dreamliner had never before been involved in a crash where the plane was written off and lives were lost.

Aviation experts use the term “fatal hull-loss accident” for a crash that both destroys the airplane and causes deaths. In more than a decade of flying, the 787 fleet had avoided such a tragedy, until today.

The Air India flight, a 787-8 model, was carrying 242 passengers and crew from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. The crash has triggered a full investigation by Indian and international aviation authorities.

The world’s attention now turns to the investigation into what caused the accident—and how the 787’s strong safety record took such a historic blow.