Author: Aashiya Jain | EQMint | General News
On December 22, 2025, Air India marked a significant operational milestone with the return of its Boeing 777 aircraft to active service. The re-induction of the long-haul widebody fleet underscores the airline’s ongoing efforts to stabilise operations, enhance international connectivity, and rebuild passenger confidence as it continues a wide-ranging transformation of its network and service standards.
The aircraft was headed to the Financial city of the country Mumbai.The Air India aircraft 777 had departed Delhi early on Monday morning with approximately 335 passengers and crew on board. Roughly 40 to 60 minutes into the flight, pilots detected an abnormal drop in oil pressure on the right-hand engine during flap retraction after take-off.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement the above matter will be investigated.
The Boeing 777 has long been a cornerstone of Air India’s long-haul operations, serving high-density international routes across North America, Europe, and parts of Asia-Pacific. However, in recent years, several aircraft from the 777 fleet were grounded or operated under limited schedules due to a mix of factors, including global supply chain disruptions, maintenance challenges, and the broader restructuring of the airline. The return of these aircraft signals renewed operational readiness and improved fleet availability.
A Strategic Return to the Skies
According to airline officials, the reactivation of the Boeing 777 aircraft follows extensive maintenance checks, regulatory clearances, and cabin readiness procedures. These processes were undertaken to ensure full compliance with safety, airworthiness, and passenger comfort standards. The aircraft underwent comprehensive inspections, component replacements where required, and system upgrades to meet both domestic and international aviation regulations.
Industry observers note that restoring widebody capacity is critical for Air India as international travel demand continues to grow. With passenger traffic rebounding strongly on long-haul routes, especially between India and North America, the availability of the Boeing 777 allows the airline to better match capacity with demand while reducing reliance on short-term wet leases or schedule adjustments.
Contextualizing the Incident: Recent Safety Pressures
This event has occurred amid heightened scrutiny of Air India’s operational reliability, with several incidents in 2025 drawing regulatory and public attention. Most notably, Air India Flight 171 a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner tragically crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad in June 2025, killing 260 people. That accident prompted intense examination by aviation authorities and raised serious questions about airline maintenance practices and broader safety culture.
Contextualizing the Incident: Recent Safety Pressures
More recently, in November 2025, an Air India A320 was found to have operated commercial flights without a valid airworthiness certificate, leading the DGCA to suspend involved personnel and order a comprehensive internal audit of compliance systems.
Taken together, these occurrences have put regulators, safety commentators, and airline management under pressure to demonstrate corrective action and ensure system reliability. Aviation analysts say such incidents, while not unheard of individually in large fleets, can signal systemic issues if clustered within a short period. An emphasis on transparency, robust maintenance scheduling, and proactive risk management has been repeatedly urged by industry observers.
Public Perception and Market Impact
Public confidence in Air India has shown resilience in many areas, supported by the airline retaining its status as a leading domestic carrier with strong customer service ratings. However, recent safety-related incidents have understandably attracted media attention, leading to an atmosphere where each technical occurrence is closely examined by passengers, regulators, and aviation observers alike.
Conclusion: Is Air India Under Pressure?
In summary, the December 22 emergency return of the Air India Boeing 777 was managed safely with no injuries, demonstrating adherence to established safety protocols. Yet, against the backdrop of a fatal crash in June 2025, regulatory actions earlier this year, and other technical snags, Air India is indeed operating under heightened pressure both from regulators and the public to validate its safety practices and improve operational reliability.
While a single engine oil pressure issue does not alone indicate deep systemic failures, the frequency of incidents in 2025 has underscored the need for proactive maintenance, rigorous compliance, and transparent risk management. For Air India, the current period represents a critical juncture: an opportunity to reinforce industry confidence through demonstrable improvements and a reminder that in aviation, safety is always the paramount priority.
