Latest news with #RamMohanNaiduKinjarapu
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
India slams Western media coverage of Air India crash on eve of Modi visit to Britain
India's civil aviation minister has criticised western media outlets for attributing blame in the Air India flight AI171 crash before the conclusion of an official investigation, calling such speculation premature and driven by 'vested interests'. Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu expressed full confidence in India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the probe into the 12 June crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people – 241 out of 242 onboard and 19 on the ground – making it the deadliest Indian aviation disaster in four decades. The comments come ahead of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi 's trip to the UK. He will be in London on Wednesday and Thursday where he is slated to meet his British counterpart, Keir Starmer. The aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel in a residential area of Ahmedabad. Among the deceased, 52 were British nationals. The sole survivor was Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. 'AAIB has made an appeal to all, especially Western media houses, which may have a vested interest in the kind of articles they are trying to publish. I believe in AAIB. I believe in the work that they are doing,' he said, according to the Indian Express. The minister commended the AAIB for decoding the aircraft's black box domestically, describing it as a 'huge success', as previous incidents typically required the data to be sent abroad for analysis. He reiterated the government's commitment to aviation safety but insisted it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions before the final report is complete. 'Making any comments until the final report has come, I don't think it is a good exercise on behalf of anyone. We are also very cautious and studying the report thoroughly, and whatever necessary needs to be done in terms of safety, we are ready to do it,' he said, reported the Hindustan Times. Mr Kinjarapu's remarks came days after the AAIB publicly urged both the media and the public to 'refrain from spreading premature narratives' about the crash. Its Director General, GVG Yugandhar, noted that the preliminary report aimed only to present early findings and did not apportion blame. He also criticised 'irresponsible' reporting by international media, accusing them of selectively using unverified information to suggest pilot error. The preliminary report, released on 12 July, revealed that both fuel control switches of the Boeing 787-8's engines moved from 'run' to 'cutoff' within one second, moments after take-off, leading to an immediate loss of power. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut off, to which the second replied that he had not done so. The document does not state who, if anyone, moved the switches, using the neutral term 'transitioned' and offering no conclusions on intent or fault. It also notes no technical fault in the aircraft. However, some international reports implied pilot error, prompting backlash from India's aviation fraternity. Captain CS Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), accused publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Reuters of 'misleading the public' and publishing conclusions 'not based on factual content'. The FIP has issued legal notices to both outlets demanding a public clarification and apology, and warned of further legal action if no statement is made. 'They are not the investigative body,' said Captain Randhawa. 'How can you jump to these conclusions which are not part of the preliminary report of the AAIB? How can you blame the pilots?' Earlier, the head of the US National Transportation Safety Board cautioned against initial reports about last month's Air India crash. 'premature and speculative', without providing any specifics about what exactly she was referring to.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘AAIB is unbiased, investigation as per international norms': Minister Ram Mohan Naidu addresses questions on Air India plane crash in Parliament
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu Monday addressed the Rajya Sabha on the investigation into the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash and said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is totally 'unbiased' and conducting the probe as per 'international norms'. In the first Parliament session after the Air India plane crash on June 12, which led to 270 deaths, including 241 on board the London Gatwick-bound AI171 flight, Naidu faced questions on what could have caused the deadly crash and compensation to victims. Citing the AAIB's preliminary findings, which said the engine fuel control switches for both engines on the Boeing 787-8 aircraft transitioned from the 'RUN' to the 'CUTOFF' position shortly after takeoff, BJP Rajya Sabha member Ashok Shankarrao Chavan asked the minister what could have been the reason behind the fuel cut-off. Replying, Naidu said, 'This was a preliminary report… For a definitive answer, we have to wait for the final report. AAIB is conducting the investigation as per international norms. They are totally unbiased and looking at facts alone.' Chavan said the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is heavily dependent on electronics and that it was a software glitch that led to the engines on a Japan flight shutting down unexpectedly in 2019. He asked whether a malfunction in the electrical system could have been the cause of the fuel cut-off in the Ahmedabad crash, considering that the excerpt from the cockpit voice recording suggested neither of the pilots had switched it off. Naidu said this was the first time that the country did not have to send the black box to another country for decoding, having set up its own lab for analysing flight data and cockpit recordings. He was referring to the new facility established at the AAIB headquarters in Delhi in April for analysing aircraft flight data and cockpit recordings. 'It used to be that even if there was slight damage to the black box, we had to send it to the original manufacturer to decode it. It was the first time that this was done in India,' said Naidu. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Member Fauzia Khan asked what the government was doing about the issue of engine shutdowns during flights. She said that RTI data revealed 65 incidents from 2020 to 2025. She also cited the example of AI131, which was forced to turn back in 2023 after an engine shutdown. Naidu said there could be multiple issues leading to an engine shutdown, ranging from weather conditions to bird strikes. He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) does spot checks, night checks, among other measures, as per their annual surveillance and safety plan. Another BJP member, Satnam Singh Sandhu, asked about compensation and support to the families of medical students who died on the ground during the air crash. The minister said that all casualties, whether passengers or those on the ground, were being treated equally and their families would receive compensation and support from the government. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member Manoj Kumar Jha asked about the government's response to the 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on some Boeing aircraft. Naidu replied that there are two types of directives — one that every state has to follow mandatorily and another, such as the SAIB, that does not need to. At the time, the regulator took the call that there was no need for special checks, he said, adding that routine checks were, of course, ongoing. Naidu added that the AAIB also mentioned this in their report in addition to several other angles that are being examined. Several Rajya Sabha members asked about the vacancies, especially in the technical positions, at the DCGA. To this, Naidu said that several additional positions were created over the last two years, keeping in mind the expanding air travel network in India. This is the reason why some positions are vacant even as the recruitment process is ongoing, he said. He added that these were highly technical positions, and there is a very small pool of people who qualify, leading to a longer recruitment process.
Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
AAIB conducting unbiased probe, will have to wait for final report: Aviation Minister in LS
New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Monday said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was conducting 'unbiased and transparent' probe into the Air India 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad. The plane crashed minutes after take-off on June 12, killing all those on board except one passenger. Making his first statement in the House on the AI plane crash, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation said that a thorough investigation is underway by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and AAIB, along with subject experts, and the final probe report is still awaited. Naidu's remarks come in the wake of preliminary findings by the AIBB, which hinted at 'suicide theory' by the pilots, sparking widespread anger and protests. The Aviation Minister said that these are the first set of investigations, and one should wait for the final probe report. He also urged the members to respect the 'process of investigation'. 'AAIB has a definitive, rule-based, rigorous process of investigation. They are totally unbiased and looking through every detail. We will have to stand by the truth and also respect the process of investigation,' he added. The AI 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad resulted in the death of all 241 persons onboard, sending shockwaves through the country and the world, as many foreign nationals were also on board the ill-fated flight. He also told the House that the black box was decoded here in India, and this marks a first for the country because on earlier occasions, it was sent to the Boeing manufacturing nation for decoding the conversations inside the cockpit. A day ago, the Aviation Minister slammed the Western media for speculative reporting on the Air India Boeing crash probe and also lauded the AIBB for successfully decoding the black box data. 'I believe in AAIB. They have done a wonderful job in decoding the whole black box and getting the data out in India itself,' the Minister stated.
Times of Oman
a day ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
IndiGo launches flight operations from Hindon Airport, connecting 9 cities
Hindon: Indian Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has launched new flight routes from Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad, to be operated by IndiGo. After Air India Express, IndiGo becomes the second airline to mark its presence in Hindon Airport. Four months ago, Air India Express started its operations here. Hindon Airport in NCR will now be connected with nine Indian cities -- Bengaluru, Kolkata, Varanasi, Goa, Patna, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Indore through IndiGo services. "This is an (Udan) success of, Hindon, Ghaziabad, western Uttar Pradesh, and entire country. This is an Udan of the ambitions and aspirations of common Indians," the Union minister said from the Hindon Airport. Airlines fleet, airports, terminal capacity, and flyers have doubled in India over the past decade, the minister said, reflecting the growth India's civil aviation sector has made. "During 2024-2034, civil aviation in tier II and III cities will grow and we will have to unlock the potential. Hindon will serve as an example," the minister said. With operations from both Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and Hindon Airport (HDO), flyers based out of the National Capital Region will be served by these two airports. The Hindon Airport's development work was taken up in 2019 under UDAN at Rs 50 crore, in collaboration with Indian Air Force, Minister Naidu said in his address. Minister, during his speech, said the annual flyers from Hindon Airport was about 8,000 in 2019, which has risen to upwards of 80,000 now. Union Budget 2025-26 has put an additional thrust on the ever-growing domestic civil aviation sector. Inspired by the success of the previous regional connectivity scheme, a modified UDAN scheme will be launched to enhance regional connectivity to 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years. The UDAN scheme, launched in April 2017, focuses on improving unserved air routes in underserved regions. India's aviation industry has experienced significant growth in the past decade, and the number of operational airports in the country has since doubled. The government aims to make India a global aviation hub by 2030.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
"May have vested interest..." Aviation Minister Slams Western Media Over AAIB Report Coverage
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has strongly defended the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and warned against premature conclusions by international media, especially Western outlets. He highlighted the integrity of AAIB's investigation into the Air India AI171 incident and criticized biased reportage. The minister emphasized waiting for the final report before making any assumptions. #RamMohanNaidu #AAIB #AirIndia #AI171 #FIP #WSJ #Reuters #PlaneCrashProbe #AviationIndia #MediaBias #BlackBox #AviationSafety #CrashInvestigation #IndiaNews #LegalNotice Read More
