Air India on Friday stated that the uncommanded deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) in its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on October 4 was “neither due to a system fault nor pilot action”. The incident occurred seconds before the aircraft, arriving from Amritsar, landed safely at Birmingham Airport.
“Based on the conclusions from our preliminary investigations, the deployment of the RAT was neither due to a system fault nor pilot action. The deployment of the RAT was ‘uncommanded’, consistent with similar occurrences with other airlines in the past, as reported by Boeing,” Air India said in a statement.
The airline confirmed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had been notified and the preliminary report submitted in accordance with prescribed guidelines. The aircraft was subsequently cleared for service and flew from Birmingham to Delhi on October 5.
Also read: Air India flight grounded in UK after turbine emergency mid-descent
“On 4 October 2025, the operating crew of flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham, detected the deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) of the aircraft during its final approach. The crew had found all electrical and hydraulic parameters to be normal, and the aircraft landed safely at Birmingham Airport,” the statement added.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Friday called on the civil aviation ministry to ground Air India’s entire Dreamliner fleet, check their electrical systems, and order a DGCA special audit. The FIP also noted that on October 9, Air India flight AI154 from Vienna to Delhi diverted to Dubai due to technical issues, while the October 4 RAT deployment occurred on AI117. Both flights operated Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Air India’s Dreamliner operations have been under scrutiny since June 12, when flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick, killing 260 people.
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