The crash site of the AI-171 flight that met with an accident at Ahmedabad, in Gujarat on June 13, 2025.
New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced comprehensive investigations into the catastrophic crash of Air India Flight AI171, which killed 241 of 242 passengers and crew and at least 28 people on the ground on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad.
Speaking at a press briefing in Udaan Bhawan, New Delhi, alongside Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol and Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Naidu detailed the government’s swift response, ongoing probes, and plans for systemic aviation safety reforms.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recovered the flight’s black boxes—flight data recorder on June 13 at 5 p.m. and cockpit voice recorder on June 14—a critical step toward uncovering why the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed one minute after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick.
A high-level committee, chaired by the Union Home Secretary, has been constituted to conduct a multi-dimensional inquiry, involving experts from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Gujarat, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Indian Air Force, Intelligence Bureau, State Disaster Response Authority, and national and state forensic teams. The committee will scrutinise technical, operational, and regulatory aspects, identify systemic gaps, and submit a report within three months, recommending reforms in certification systems, emergency response protocols, crew training, and air traffic management. The AAIB’s technical probe, decoding the black boxes, runs parallel with the committee’s first meeting scheduled for June 16, 2025.
Naidu, who visited the crash site in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, expressed profound grief, particularly for the loss of young medical students, describing it as a “profound loss to the nation’s future.” He prioritised humanitarian support, directing Air India to provide immediate ex gratia compensation, logistical and emotional assistance, and a dedicated support cell in Gatwick for British nationals’ families. Operational helplines include Ahmedabad Airport (9974111327), Ministry of Civil Aviation (011-24610843/9650391859), and Air India (1800-5691-444). A 24×7 control room at the Ministry, staffed by DGCA, BCAS, Central Industrial Security Force, and Airports Authority of India (AAI), coordinates relief efforts, with a media control room at the National Media Centre.
The DGCA ordered urgent inspections of all Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft with Genx engines, with eight of 33 Dreamliners in India checked by June 14. Enhanced surveillance of maintenance protocols and airworthiness procedures for wide-body aircraft is underway. Naidu, reflecting on his personal loss of a parent in an accident, said he could relate to the anguish of those who were grieving. He vowed to deliver justice and prevent future tragedies, citing India’s robust aviation safety record per International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. He urged the public to avoid speculation, promising transparent updates via a public portal on the MoCA website.
The crash occurred at 1:38 p.m. IST, involving 230 passengers and 12 crew, totalling 242 individuals, including 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian national. The sole survivor, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, in seat 11A, is under intensive care. Piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 hours) and First Officer Clive Kundar (1,100 hours), the aircraft issued a MAYDAY call before losing contact. The crash, fueled by 1.25 lakh litres of aviation fuel, sparked a massive fire, striking a doctors’ hostel at B.J. Medical College, killing at least 28 on the ground, including at least four medical students. The fire’s extreme temperatures, reported by Shah, hindered rescue efforts, requiring coordinated operations by National and State Disaster Response Forces.
Prime Minister Modi, who chaired a high-level meeting at the site, described the tragedy as “heartbreaking beyond words,” visiting Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to meet affected families. Shah reviewed on-ground operations, ensuring central agency support. Air India, owned by the Tata Group, announced ₹25 lakh interim compensation per victim’s family and survivor, in addition to Tata’s ₹1 crore ex gratia payment, totalling ₹1.25 crore, per Air India’s X post and CEO Campbell Wilson. Under the Montreal Convention, Air India must pay up to 151,880 Special Drawing Rights (≈₹1.8 crore) per deceased passenger. Air India arranged relief flights IX1555 (Delhi-Ahmedabad) and AI1402 (Mumbai-Ahmedabad) on June 12 at 11:00 p.m., with returns on June 13, 2025.
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, US National Transportation Safety Board, and Boeing are assisting, with the black boxes expected to clarify potential causes like engine failure or flap issues.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed condolences, noting the Rajasthan victims. The British Parliament lowered flags on June 14, 2025, for 53 British nationals.
The aircraft, delivered in 2014, reportedly had a clean maintenance record, last checked in March 2025. Debris over a 500-meter radius complicates forensics, with DNA matching for 11 victims completed. Air India retired flight number AI171 and waived rescheduling fees for Ahmedabad flights until June 14. Global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden, offered condolences.
The crash, the first fatal Boeing 787-8 incident since 2011, scrutinises India’s aviation sector, which handled 153 million passengers in 2024, per AAI. Repatriation is delayed by burns requiring DNA identification. The economic impact, a ₹500 crore loss for Air India, was reported in the media.
– global bihari bureau
