DGCA Orders Surveillance of All Boeing 787 Jets in India

Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu yesterday informed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given an order for extended surveillance of the 34 Boeing 787 planes which are currently present in the Indian aircraft fleet. He added that out of them, eight have already been inspected with immediate urgency. 

Briefing the media in New Delhi, the Minister informed that a high-level committee of experts from various sectors is also being formed to look into the investigation of the incident. He said that the Home Secretary will be the chairman of this committee. The Minister said that the Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future. The



committee has been asked to submit its report within three months.

The Minister said that immediately after the crash, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which was specifically formed to investigate accidents that happen around aircrafts, was mobilized.

He added that the AAIB has recovered the black box of the plane, which is going to provide in-depth insight into what would have actually happened during the crash or moments before the crash itself. Mr Naidu further stated that the response teams from all the concerned departments had been working on the ground to cut down the fire and remove the debris so that bodies could be sent to the hospital. He added that DNA testing is happening to identify victims and hand them over to their families.