Turkey denies maintenance link with crashed Air India dreamliner: False claim

Turkey has refuted claims linking one of its firms to the maintenance of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this week, killing 270 people. In a statement, the Directorate of Communications' Center for Countering Disinformation clarified that reports suggesting Turkish Technic serviced the aircraft were 'false'.

"The claim that ‘the maintenance of the Boeing 787-8 passenger aircraft was carried out by Turkish Technic’ following the crash of an Air India passenger aircraft during take-off is false. The claim that the crashed aircraft was maintained by Turkish Technic constitutes disinformation aimed at manipulating public opinion regarding Turkiye-India relations," the department said.

The London-bound passenger aircraft that took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport crashed within minutes on Thursday afternoon, slamming into the BJ Medical College hostel complex. Miraculously, one passenger survived the impact.

"Under the agreements made between Air India and Turkish Technic in 2024 and 2025, maintenance services are provided exclusively for B777-type wide-body aircraft. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the accident does not fall within the scope of this agreement. To date, Turkish Technic has not conducted maintenance on any Air India aircraft of this type," the department added.

It also said that although we are aware of which company performed the most recent maintenance on the crashed aircraft, it was beyond scope to make a statement on this matter to avoid further speculation.

"The Center for Countering Disinformation will continue to monitor and take the necessary measures against efforts that target the reputation of our flagship brands, which represent Turkiye on the international stage," it stated.

Air India Flight AI 171, en route to London’s Gatwick airport, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel and canteen complex shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. The crash site was engulfed in flames, with extensive damage reported to hostel infrastructure. The process of identifying victims is underway through DNA matching, and bodies are being handed over to families after identity confirmation.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recovered the black box 28 hours after the incident. A detailed probe is underway to ascertain the cause of the crash.