Fatal Air India crash sparks global investigation and aviation safety scrutiny
The worst air accident in over a decade took place last fortnight, when an Air India flight, AI 171 (Ahmedabad to Gatwick) crashed within 40 seconds after being airborne. Raw footage taken by an amateur bystander showed the ghastly incident which left 274 dead (241 passengers and 30 people on the ground). The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Now, the call sign of the ill-fated aircraft AI 171 has been dropped and replaced by AI 159.
Investigations are underway by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A team has also been sent by Britain’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as the casualties included 53 Britons. There are officials from Boeing, engine manufacturer GE, the NTSB and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Ahmedabad for investigation.
One of the two black boxes has been found and the reasons behind this crash are now being ascertained. Though the exact cause of the crash is not known yet, some reports suggest a possible engine or hydraulic failure during take-off, a rare and serious event in commercial aviation. Sabotage hasn’t been ruled out yet, say sources, as the phones of key staff members, who had cleared the flight for take-off on 12 June, have also been seized for further investigation.
According to Air India, the ill-fated flight had got its complete maintenance check in June last year, while the next one is scheduled for December this year. Meanwhile, Praful Patel, former minister, civil aviation, and senior NCP leader, has questioned the lack of response from Singapore Airlines, following the devastating crash of an Air India Boeing. “In the sorrow and din surrounding the Air India crash, there remains a surprising silence or perhaps ignorance about the role of a substantial shareholder and the entity responsible for maintaining a large number of Air India’s wide-bodied aircraft. Guess who? The name is ‘Singapore Airlines’,” Patel said. He went further to state that Singapore Airlines seemed to be in the hiding. “Let us not forget that it has a say in the management and a code-share agreement with Air India. Importantly, Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India, is a nominee of Singapore Airlines. He previously served as the CEO of their low-cost carrier, Scoot Airlines. Why this deafening silence SQ?” Patel asked.
The air crash had also tragically led to the death of 33 people on ground – including students and ground staff of the hostel of BJ Medical College. Parts of the aircraft had got buried in the walls of the hostel. The cook of the hostel (Ravi Thakor) has been looking for the remains of his two-year-old daughter, who had gone to sleep a short while before the aircraft took off. According to reports, some five medical students died while having breakfast; others were mostly from the staff at the canteen and vendors.
Comprehensive inspection
“A one-time comprehensive inspection should be made mandatory for all aircraft before departure,” Jaideep Mirchandani, Group Chairman, Sky One, told Business India. “Take-off parameters should be reviewed each time and not periodically. Introducing a regular `flight control inspection’ routine would add an extra layer of security”.
Meanwhile, Air India and the government of India are looking at issues linked to engine thrusts, flaps and why the landing gear remained open. The black boxes have been recovered.
DGCA has asked Air India for the training records of the pilots and dispatchers while asking flying schools to conduct training compliance checks. Concerns have also been raised about recent maintenance-related issues reported by the airline and advised the carrier to strictly adhere to regulations.
“Airlines can make effective use of emerging technologies to strengthen flight operations. For instance, by integrating AI-driven automation, air-controllers are better equipped to make quicker date backed decisions, which improves both safety and efficiency during flights,” Mirchandani added.
In the aftermath of the air crash, there have been many flight delays and cancellations. The DGCA has stated that Air India had cancelled 66 Boeing 787 Dreamliner services since 12 June. Some 13 Air India Dreamliner flights, including one on the Ahmedabad-London route that was reinstated after a fatal crash on 12 June, were grounded on 17 June due to technical or operational issues, as regulatory inspections and airspace closures across some routes continued to disrupt the airline’s operations.
In total, 83 wide-body aircraft flights were cancelled. On the day of the crash, the airline operated 90 wide-body flights, of which 50 were Dreamliners. Six of these were cancelled, five being 787s. However, cancellations of this nature are not unprecedented. Parliamentary data indicates that in 2024, Air India averaged four flight cancellations per day, owing to technical or operational reasons, based on information available up to September.
During a high-level meeting between DGCA and senior officials from Air India and Air India Express, it was noted that the carriers have been ‘operating over 1,000 flights daily across domestic and international sectors.’
Following the crash, the DGCA has asked Air India to carry out enhanced safety inspections on its fleet of Dreamliners. Whistle-blowers have been pointing out challenges with the Boeing aircraft. “It is too early to know what exactly caused the crash of AI 171,” informs The American Prospect. “The pilot reportedly cried ‘engine failure’ in a ‘Mayday’ call to the air-traffic controller before it crashed. The 787 Dreamliner has been plagued by engine problems, partially caused by the abundance of so-called ‘foreign object debris’. Boeing assembly line workers chronically leave aircraft components in their haste to move to the next task”.
The report in The American Prospect also talks about whistle-blower John Barnett being demoted and ostracised after he attempted to force workers to disassemble and clean wire bundles and electrical boxes that had been littered with metal scraps of floorboard fasteners – scraps, he knew, could cause the electrical systems to short circuit. Barnett died last March by suicide. He had been talking about the practices he had been witnessing, which, he feared, could lead to an air crash – like Air India?
Box
GCA observations
Maintenance-related delays: DGCA raised concerns regarding recent maintenance-related issues reported by Air India. The airline was advised to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations, ground-handling units and ensure availability of adequate spares to mitigate passenger delays resulting from such issues and strictly adhere to regulations.
Airspace restrictions: The impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace, was reviewed. The closures have led to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations. The operators have been asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and adopt alternate routing strategies to minimise disruptions.
Passenger information & facilitation: The operators were reminded of their obligations under the relevant Civil Aviation Requirements Section 3 Series M Part IV & V, to inform passengers well in advance regarding delays and cancellations. Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels.
B787 fleet surveillance: The recent surveillance conducted on Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns. The aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards.
Status of ‘enhanced safety inspection’ of B787-8/9 fleet of Air India (as on 17 June 2025, 1500 hrs): The ‘Enhanced Safety Inspection’ mandated under Order Para 1 is applicable to the entire Air India B787-8/9 fleet, comprising 33 aircraft. Of these, four aircraft are undergoing major checks at various MRO facilities. As of 1,500 hrs on 17 June 2025, a total of 24 aircraft have successfully completed the required check. An additional two aircraft are planned for completion today, with one more scheduled for tomorrow. The remaining six aircraft include two aircraft that are AOG at Delhi. The checks on these two will be carried out post-declaration of serviceability and prior to their return to service. The remaining four aircraft under MRO will undergo the mandated check prior to their release from the respective maintenance hangars.
Operational co-ordination: The regulator recommended the implementation of a more systematic and real-time defect reporting mechanism to ensure that operational and safety-critical departments receive timely updates. This is expected to enhance overall decision-making and reduce downstream disruptions.
Wide-body flight operational data: DGCA also reviewed recent operational data for Air India’s wide-body operations, with specific attention to the Boeing 787 fleet.