USA B787 GROUNDED ?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not currently planning on grounding the United States' fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft following the tragic crash of Air India Flight #171. The agency, which oversees aviation in the United States, has not yet seen the necessary data to justify such a bold action, but remains committed to protecting the safety of US citizens based on what information they can get from the accident.

A nationwide grounding of the Boeing 787 would create massive challenges for some of the United States' biggest carriers. United Airlines and American Airlines both rely on the jet as a long-haul workhorse, so a grounding could cause widespread disruptions to scheduled operations. While the cause of the crash is still unknown, this problem has once again brought attention to Boeing's troubling safety and quality control issues.

While concerns over the safety of the Boeing 787 have arisen following a tragic crash of an Air India flight bound for London earlier this week, the FAA is not ready to ground the nation's robust fleet of the aircraft type, according to Reuters. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that currently, people are attempting to assess what happened through videos, which he claimed is not a smart way to make decisions of this nature.

Little is known about the cause of the crash that occurred Thursday, when an Air India Boeing 787-8 bound for London Gatwick Airport crashed into a densely populated area. The accident occurred just seconds after the aircraft took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft involved was 11 years old and had completed 700 flights in the year leading up to the tragedy, according to BBC.

Duffy and his team have determined there is not enough evidence to justify grounding the Boeing 787 as they work with teams from both Boeing and General Electric, which have left for India to assist in the investigation. Duffy explained:

"They have to get on the ground and take a look. But again right now it'd be way too premature. People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place."

While the FAA is not yet grounding the 787, that does not mean it won't at some time later in the investigation. Duffy reiterated that the FAA will follow whatever facts come out of the investigation, and that safety will come first. So, should the agency deem it necessary to ground the aircraft, then several major US carriers will be faced with significant disruptions.

United Airlines is one of the largest operators of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the world. According to planespotters.net, the Chicago-based airline flies 78 Dreamliners across all three variants: the 787-8, -9, and -10. Additionally, American Airlines flies 63 787 aircraft, split between the -8 and -9 variants. With the 787 playing a critical role in the long-haul networks of these airlines, a grounding would cause widespread disruptions, though it might be necessary to ensure the safety of the US public.