Told to change statement, then fired: Air India whistleblowers write to PM Modi

New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) In a dramatic turn following the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, two former senior cabin crew members wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging they were wrongfully terminated last year after raising alarm over technical issues in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. 

The letter claimed that, "the said accident was waiting to happen as our various statements and contentions relating to the technical aspects and defects in the Aircraft – (Dreamliner Aircraft B787/8 Series), were deliberately pulled under the carpet, ignored, overlooked or not considered seriously for reasons best known to Air India Ltd management (AI) and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ....."

The crew claimed the crash was “waiting to happen,” and that their repeated warnings about aircraft defects -- especially a 2024 incident involving Dreamliner VT-ANQ -- were ignored by Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to the letter, the door’s slide raft had deployed on landing in London without manual input, a claim initially supported by the pilot and crew.

However, the signatories allege they were later pressured to change their statements, and when they refused, they were sacked without a proper enquiry.

"We fail to understand why an informal discussion instead of an impartial full-fledged enquiry was sought to be conducted by DGCA, the Regulatory Authority, when such a grave incident relating to passenger and crew safety was reported", it said.

Calling it their "last hope," the crew seeks the Prime Minister’s intervention to reinstate them and investigate the Dreamliner’s safety record.

A day after this letter was shot off, Air India on Friday told IANS that the said cabin crew members were terminated for their “misconduct and behaviour and continuing to falsify critical information during the course of an investigation”.

“The said investigation was launched after an emergency slide was activated while opening the aircraft door post landing,” said the airline in a statement.

This matter now reignites the tensions within the airline and its employees and measures on air travel safety.