PARIS: Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg has cancelled his trip to next week’s Paris Air Show, a major aviation industry event, to focus on the investigation into the Air India Dreamliner crash.

The crash has put the spotlight back on Boeing, which had been making progress under new leadership following concerns over safety and quality of planes made by the US aircraft maker. It was the first crash of a 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s flagship long-distance aircraft.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of everyone onboard Air India Flight 171 and all those affected in western India,” Ortberg said in a message to employees on Friday. He said he and executive vice president Stephanie Pope had been in contact with Air India’s leadership “to offer our full support”.

Ortberg added that he had spoken with the chair of the US National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, and “committed to her our full support to the investigative process”.

Boeing is also supporting the probe by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which is leading the probe, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025