Collected photo

NEW DELHI, June 19, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Air India's Boeing plane was "well-
maintained" before it crashed a week ago, killing all but one of 242 people 
on board, the airline said on Thursday.

Indian authorities are yet to detail what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner 
to hurtle to the ground in the western city of Ahmedabad a week ago.

At least 38 people were killed in the residential neighbourhood that the 
plane hit, causing such devastation that DNA analysts are still trying to 
identify dozens of the dead.

As investigators attempt to retrieve data from the plane's black boxes -- the 
cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder -- the airline said no 
problems were detected with the jet before the disaster.

"The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023," Air 
India said in a statement.

"Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was 
inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly 
monitored, showing no issues before the flight," it said.

The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed down in Ahmedabad 
moments after takeoff.

Initial checks on Air India's Dreamliners since the crash "did not reveal any 
major safety concerns", the country's civil aviation regulator said on 
Tuesday.

India's aviation investigative unit said on Thursday the probe was 
"progressing steadily".

"Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has 
been completed, and further analysis is now underway," the Aircraft Accident 
Investigation Bureau said in a statement.

- 'Highly experienced pilot' -

Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese 
and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members.

The pilots were accomplished flyers, according to the airline.

"The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot 
and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft," it said.

"First Officer Clive Kunder had over 3,400 hours of flying experience."

While investigators try to piece together what went wrong, many families of 
victims are still waiting for their loved ones to be identified.

As of Thursday evening, 215 victims have been matched through DNA testing, 
all but nine of them passengers, according to the civil hospital's medical 
superintendent Rakesh Joshi.

The remains of around 15 of them have been transported by air, Joshi told 
journalists.

Six people injured in the disaster remain in hospital, with one due to be 
discharged shortly while the others are in a stable condition.