AI Dreamliner attempts take-off from Frankfurt twice, in vain

NEW DELHI: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's unending trouble with spoilers — speed retardation devices on the wings that move up and down — saw over 200 passengers supposed to fly from Frankfurt to Delhi on Thursday night taxiing out of the airport twice only to return to the aerobridge minutes later each time. The aircraft had to be finally grounded in Germany on Thursday night as by the time the problem was sorted, night curfew had kicked in at Frankfurt.

The problem started when AI 123 on Dreamliner (VT-AND) first taxied out of Frankfurt and a problem was detected with the spoilers. This device acts as a speed breaker on an aircraft and its actuators make it go up or down on wing tips during takeoff to alter drag and during landing to increase rate of descent. Without this important device perfectly functional, an airplane can't be allowed to get airborne.

"The problem was sorted out in about 90 minutes. By this time, the flight time duty limitation of the crew (maximum time that a crew is allowed to operate for) got keeping in mind the time spent on ground and the remaining flying time to Delhi. An exemption from the FTDL was obtained. And then the aircraft was ready to fly to Delhi. But it was not allowed to take off as the 9pm airport curfew time at Frankfurt may have been breached," said an official.

As a result, 201 passengers, including 21 infants, and 10 crew members had to stay back in Frankfurt. "While passengers were agitated, AI had to spend a lot in putting many of them in hotels. The Dreamliner snags have meant that the airline spends money on such things and ends up earning the ire of its flyers. Hopefully, the next aviation minister takes a tough stand with Boeing on the unending problems with the B-787," said an official.

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Incidentally, another Frankfurt-Delhi flight had to return to the German city earlier this month as the Dreamliner's windshield had cracked minutes after take off. A majority of the problems being experienced by AI Dreamliners are of repeat nature like windshield cracks and spoiler snags. "We have taken up these issues with Boeing but so far they have not been resolved. As a result, similar snags keep reappearing time and again," said an official.

AI has ordered 27 Dreamliners and has got delivery of 13 so far. The airline is seeking compensation from Boeing for three counts of the Dreamliner — the over three-year delay in delivery of the aircraft; grounding of this aircraft for four months last year and for failure to meet "guaranteed performance" standards of fuel consumption as the plane has not proven to be as fuel efficient as it was promised to be and was the deal-clincher for AI placing order for them.

READ ALSO: Wing snag grounds yet another Air India Dreamliner