In the letter sent on Wednesday, the crew claimed that on May 14, 2024, while operating Flight AI-129 from Mumbai to London Heathrow, the slide raft of the B787 aircraft (VT-ANQ) deployed even though the door was opened in manual mode, which should not have triggered deployment.
Two senior former Air India flight attendants have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging they were terminated after reporting a technical malfunction involving the door of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner last year and refusing to alter their statements under pressure.

Two senior former Air India flight attendants have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging they were terminated after reporting a technical malfunction involving the door of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner last year and refusing to alter their statements under pressure.

In the letter sent on Wednesday, the crew claimed that on May 14, 2024, while operating Flight AI-129 from Mumbai to London Heathrow, the slide raft of the B787 aircraft (VT-ANQ) deployed even though the door was opened in manual mode, which should not have triggered deployment. Normally, slide rafts activate only when doors are opened in armed or automatic mode.

The attendants said the incident occurred after the aircraft docked and passengers disembarked. The malfunction was initially supported in writing by the commander and cabin-in-charge, they said. However, when they insisted the door had been in manual mode, they were allegedly pressured by senior officials to revise their statements — a demand they refused.

“We were threatened with termination and eventually dismissed within 48 hours,” the letter alleged, noting that the termination happened exactly one year before the June 12, 2025, crash of Flight AI171, which killed 272 people.

The attendants further accused both Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of suppressing the incident and other similar cases involving Dreamliner aircraft. They claimed that despite filing a complaint with the Central Vigilance Commission, only an “informal inquiry” was conducted, and no report has been made public. They also alleged that key eyewitnesses were excluded from the probe.

Both crew members have over 20 years of service with Air India.

As of now, Air India and DGCA have not publicly responded to the allegations.