IMAGE: The wreckage of the ill-fated London-bound Air India flight on the rooftop of the doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad on Friday, June 13, 2025. Photograph: Video Grab/ANI Photo

A day after the crash of Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner AI-171 in Ahmedabad, that claimed 241 lives on board and at least 24 on the ground, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered an immediate 'enhanced safety inspection' of the airline's entire Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet.

This includes series of checks before any departure, starting this Sunday.

Besides the regulatory step taken on Friday, there were significant developments that may fast track the probe into one of the worst aviation disasters.

The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, collectively known as the black box, were recovered Friday afternoon, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and chaired a high-level review meeting.

The top executives of the company, which is at the centre of the crisis, were at ground zero as well. That included Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, who visited the crash site.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, who had reached Ahmedabad on the day of the crash, briefed CEOs of some of the group companies on Friday.

He also sent out a note to the employees, saying it was the darkest hour in the history of the Tata group.

Chandrasekaran promised full transparency on the probe, that will be conducted by a high-level committee.

Even as the detailed investigation could take several months, an early report could be expected within weeks, sources said.

Responding to speculation, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking at a press conference in Washington, DC on Friday, said it 'would be way too premature' to consider grounding the Boeing 787 fleet.

The crash of the London-bound Dreamliner seconds after its take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon had left a lone survivor -- Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, an India born British national-- among the 242 on board.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recovered the black box within 28 hours of the crash from the accident site in Ahmedabad, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated on X.

'This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the inquiry into the incident,' he added.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Air India AI-171 flight crash site in Ahmedabad on Friday. Photograph: DD/ANI Photo

In a directive issued on Friday, the DGCA ordered Air India to carry out a fresh round of intensive checks across its entire Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet with GEnx engines. These inspections are to begin from Sunday onwards.

The directive called for a series of specific checks before each flight's departure from India, including inspection of fuel parameter monitoring systems, cabin air compressors, and electronic engine control (EEC) units.

The fuel parameter system ensures correct fuel flow to the engines and monitors discrepancies, while the cabin air compressor is responsible for cabin pressurisation and ventilation.

Electronic engine control (EEC) system tests are required to verify engine health and response.

The directive also mandated operational testing of the engine's fuel-driven actuator and oil systems, both of which are essential for regulating engine components and ensuring proper lubrication and cooling.

Air India operates a fleet of 34 Boeing 787 aircraft (also called Dreamliner), including both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants, one of which was involved in the crash, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The airline has placed firm orders for 20 more Dreamliners, with options for an additional 24. Overall, Air India's total fleet stands at 190 aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years.

Globally, there are 1,148 Boeing 787s currently in service, with an average age of 7.5 years, Cirium stated.

IMAGE: Modi holds a review meeting with officials following the Air India AI-171 flight crash at the airport in Ahmedabad on Friday. Photograph: DD/ANI Photo

The DGCA on Friday also directed that the hydraulic system -- which powers critical functions such as the landing gear, braking system, and flight control surfaces like flaps and rudders -- be thoroughly checked to ensure it is fully operational.

Additionally, Air India must conduct a detailed review of take-off performance data to detect any anomalies in engine output, aircraft weight calculations, or environmental factors that could compromise safe departure.

The DGCA also ordered that flight control inspections be included in all transit checks -- routine inspections conducted between an aircraft's arrival and its next departure -- to ensure no issues are overlooked during quick turnarounds at airports.

Power assurance checks, which confirm that engines are delivering adequate thrust, must be completed within two weeks.

Additionally, Air India has been asked to address and resolve all repetitive technical snags observed over the past 15 days.

All inspection reports will be submitted to the DGCA for review, and regional offices of the regulator have been tasked with ensuring compliance.

IMAGE: Modi meets Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the Air India AI-171 flight crash at a hospital in Ahmedabad. Photograph: ANI Photo

As technical scrutiny intensified, Modi met the injured as well as the lone survivor in hospital. He also met the family of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who was among the deceased.

The Air India CEO, in a video message, said that an advanced team of nearly 100 caregivers and 40 engineering staff had arrived in Ahmedabad.

Air India is in the process of sending many more caregivers to Ahmedabad while setting up several friends and relatives assistance centres in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi and London Gatwick airports, he said.

Meanwhile, other countries are stepping up their act on air safety. Among others, Japan is tightening the oversight of Boeing 787 operations in the wake of the Air India tragedy.

On Friday, the country's transport ministry announced that it had instructed Japanese carriers to inspect their Boeing 787 aircraft.