MUMBAI (Diya TV) — Two former Air India flight attendants have accused the airline of firing them for exposing a safety issue involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner door. The attendants say the malfunction happened last year, and they brought it to the attention of airline officials, only to be dismissed shortly afterward.

The former employees sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, claiming they were terminated after refusing to change their account of the incident. They allege that the door malfunctioned despite being set to “manual mode,” and that the airline and India’s aviation watchdog tried to suppress the issue.

The incident took place on May 14, 2024, after Air India Flight AI-129 landed at London’s Heathrow Airport from Mumbai. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANQ, had completed disembarkation when the issue occurred.

The flight attendants allege that although the door was confirmed to be in manual mode, the emergency slide raft deployed—something that should only happen if the door is in automatic or “armed” mode. They say the pilot and the cabin-in-charge initially supported their account in writing. But when they refused to alter their statements under pressure, they were terminated within 48 hours.

In their letter to the prime minister, the crew stated they had no choice but to stand by their original testimony. They refused to say the door was opened in automatic mode, which would have shifted the blame onto them.

They allege that Air India wanted them to admit to a mistake so the issue could be framed as human error rather than a mechanical fault. The crew said their refusal to comply led to disciplinary action and eventual dismissal. They also claimed the incident was ignored by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which conducted only an informal probe.

The attendants further allege that key witnesses were excluded from the investigation. According to them, no formal report has been made public. Both employees had worked with Air India for over 20 years and had filed a complaint with the Central Vigilance Commission in 2024.

Air India released a statement denying the claims. The airline said the cabin crew were fired for misconduct and for allegedly providing false information during the investigation. The airline claimed that the slide could not have deployed unless the door was in armed mode, based on data, photos, videos, and input from third-party experts.

However, Air India’s statement initially said the slide could not have been deployed unless the door was in manual mode, contradicting aviation safety norms. After this error was pointed out, the airline corrected its statement to say the slide could only deploy in armed mode.

The former crew members say this correction supports their original claim: the door was in manual mode, and the slide should not have deployed, suggesting a fault with the aircraft rather than crew error.

The letter also connects their dismissal to a broader pattern of safety concerns. It was written just before the anniversary of a fatal crash involving Air India Express Flight IX-171 in Ahmedabad, which killed 272 people on June 12, 2025.

The crew members argue that the airline is trying to silence whistleblowers instead of addressing ongoing safety risks with Boeing 787 aircraft. They accuse both Air India and the DGCA of failing to act on similar incidents involving Dreamliner doors.

This latest dispute adds to growing scrutiny around airline safety and aircraft manufacturing. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has faced various technical issues over the years, and questions remain about how airlines and regulators respond to internal reports from experienced staff.