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Air India Ltd.

Air India Flight Attendants Use Napkins to Silence Shaking Door on Boeing 787

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Air India passengers on board a flight from Delhi to Hong Kong experienced a harrowing mid-air incident when a door on the Boeing 787 aircraft started making hissing and growling noises about an hour into the flight. The incident on June 1 was not the first case of a B787 door issue, with at least three other instances reported by airlines worldwide. Despite the concerns, the flight attended its destination safely, and the aircraft underwent checks, finding all safety parameters in compliance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The incident occurred on an Air India flight from Delhi to Hong Kong on June 1, where a door on the Boeing 787 aircraft started making hissing and growling noises about an hour into the flight.
  • The flight attendants used paper napkins to plug the thin gap at the top of the door and silence the noise, while the flight continued to its destination and landed safely.
  • This was not the first case of a B787 having a door issue, with at least three other instances reported by airlines, including Japan Airlines in 2019 and TUI Airlines and American Airlines in 2022.
  • The incident is believed to be caused by a compromised door seal due to increased atmospheric pressure difference within and outside the aircraft.
  • Boeing 787 has an advanced plug-type door which is electronically monitored, unlike the Boeing 777 or 737 aircraft, which have manually operated doors.

Statistics:

  • At least three instances of B787 door issues have been reported by airlines worldwide.
  • The most recent documented case of a B787 door issue occurred in October 2022, when an American Airlines Boeing 787-800 flight to Paris returned to Philadelphia after fumes were detected around two doors.
  • The flight crew declared an emergency and diverted to land safely after the fumes began spreading in the passenger cabin.

Sources:

  • "Air India flight from Delhi to Hong Kong faces hissing door scare mid-air" (Times of India, no date provided)
  • "Japan Airlines grounds 787 Dreamliner after door issue" (The Japan Times, 2019)
  • "TUI Airlines and American Airlines report B787 door issues" (no source provided)
  • "Air India statement on the incident" (Air India website, no date provided)

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