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Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
AAIB officials appear before House panel, say Air India crash report soon
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is learnt to have told a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Wednesday that it will make public its preliminary report on the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash in a couple of days. According to sources, the report is expected to provide the sequence of events before the accident that killed 260 people, a detailed description of the crash and the steps so far in the investigation, besides any notable findings that may have come to light. The House panel, headed by JDU RS MP Sanjay Jha, held its scheduled meeting Wednesday with the agenda 'to hear the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation on the 'overall review of safety in the civil aviation sector'. As many as 97 people are learnt to have deposed before the panel, among them top Ministry officials, including the secretary, AAIB officials, CEOs of the airlines operating in India, representatives of airport operators such as Adani and GMR and representatives of civil helicopter operators. Members of the panel cutting across party lines are learnt to have told the Ministry officials there is a pervasive sense of fear among fliers about aviation safety since the crash last month and urged the Ministry to come out with a report on how the incident happened. AAIB officials are learnt to have told the panel that the black box and voice recorder of the aircraft that crashed were intact and data was being investigated. Officials are learnt to have said that help of foreign players, including aircraft manufacturer Boeing, was also sought to carry out detailed and thorough investigations. During the meeting, the House panel is also learnt to have flagged an overloaded Air Traffic Control (ATC) system among other issues such as lacunae in civil helicopter operations. It is learnt that the committee discussed there was a paucity of staff at the ATC and that while in other countries ATC monitors the movement of 7 to 8 planes through one radar, in India there were as many as 30 planes on one radar. The panel is also learnt to have discussed staff shortage that ATC in India is facing apart from the vacancies in the DGCA. Aircraft accident investigations can be extremely complex and time consuming processes, taking months and in some cases even years to conclude. A more detailed identification and analysis of the most probable causes of the Ahmedabad crash is expected over the coming months. The AAIB-led investigation into the Ahmedabad crash is being assisted by representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and engine manufacturer GE. An ICAO expert has also been given observer status in the investigation. —With inputs from Asad Rehman Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Preliminary report on Air India plane crash likely to be released this week, AAIB officials tell parliamentary panel
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): Senior officials of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) told a parliamentary panel on Wednesday that the preliminary report on the plane crash in Ahmedabad is likely to be placed in the public domain in the next few days, sources said. Parliament's Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture met here on Wednesday with members making queries and seeking clarifications on the issue of safety and aircraft maintenance. The members, sources said, talked about the vast expansion of air sector in India, the projected growth and the need to expand the maintenance facilities. Several members mentioned the aircraft crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 last month in which over 250 people were killed. The Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Sources stated that AAIB officials informed the meeting that the preliminary report would be made public within 30 days of the tragic accident. AAIB officials are also learnt to have told the panel that the black box was intact and its data is being analysed. The agenda of parliamentary panel was to hear the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, on 'Overall review of safety in Civil Aviation Sector'. The meeting, which began at 11 am lasted till almost 6 pm, with senior officials of DGCA, AAI giving presentations. The panel is chaired by Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Jha. Senior officials of Air India, Indigo, Akasa Air were among those present. On Tuesday, Members of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised serious concerns over aviation safety following the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad and the sudden surge in flight fares from Srinagar to other cities after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, according to sources. The investigation is being led by the AAIB Director General and includes experts from the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the designated investigation body from the country of the aircraft's design. Aviation medicine and air traffic control experts are also part of the team. According to officials, this is the first time India is decoding black box data domestically. On June 25, the memory module was successfully accessed and its data was downloaded at the AAIB Lab, the official said. (ANI)
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New pilot fatigue rules by November; Air India crash report likely tomorrow
India's civil aviation sector is undergoing crucial changes. A new mechanism to manage pilot fatigue is expected by November. The government plans to address staff shortages at the aviation regulator by October. A parliamentary panel reviewed air safety, raising concerns about air traffic control and Air India's maintenance. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: A new mechanism to deal with pilot fatigue is expected to be ready by November, top officials of the civil aviation ministry informed a parliamentary panel. The government is also taking steps to address a staff shortage at the civil aviation regulator by October, they deliberations on air traffic control, officials informed the panel that in several Indian airports, one radar handles nearly 30 flights at a time compared with the norm of eight to 10 in many Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture chaired by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha held marathon meetings for over eight hours on Wednesday. As many as 97 representatives from the aviation ministry, regulators, airlines and airport operators appeared before the panel during the meeting to review safety in the civil aviation Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau informed the panel that it will make public its preliminary report on the Ahmedabad Air India plane crash, the first involving a Boeing Dreamliner, in a couple of days, sources the meeting, MPs across the party lines also expressed concerns over the maintenance of Air India flights, with many saying that the airline is still working in the old set-up, sources said. The previously state-run airline is now part of the Tata described the meeting as "very extensive and thorough", noting that every stakeholder participated in the discussion and answered queries of the panel's to officials, this is the first time the black box of a crashed plane is being investigated in India. The instruments collected from plane wreckage and parts will be shared with concerned OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), sources black box and voice recorder of the aircraft were parliamentary panel is likely to table its report in Parliament in the session beginning July 21.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Air India crash: AAIB to release preliminary report this week; global experts aiding probe
NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will release its preliminary report this week on the in Ahmedabad, which killed at least 260 people on 12 June. Top AAIB officials shared this update during a meeting with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Officials told the panel that the aircraft's black box and voice recorder were recovered and were being analysed. Boeing and other international experts are assisting with the ongoing investigation, but no final report has been prepared yet. The AAIB launched its probe a day after the crash and formed a multi-disciplinary team, headed by Director General GVG Yugandhar, in line with global aviation standards. This is the first time such a major crash investigation is being conducted domestically at this scale. The Standing Committee meeting, chaired by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, ran from 10 AM to 6 PM and included discussions with airline heads and civil aviation officials. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also attended. Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 en route to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. Among the 260 casualties were 241 people on board. One passenger survived. Members of Parliament from across parties raised questions on safety standards, noting concerns about traffic overload on Air Traffic Controllers, haphazard urban growth near airports, and the high number of vacancies in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The DGCA was urged to quickly fill the posts, nearly half of which are vacant. The Civil Aviation Secretary assured the committee that safety remains the government's top priority. Meanwhile, a separate high-level committee led by the Union Home Secretary is also reviewing the crash and expected to recommend stronger aviation safety guidelines. According to ICAO norms, a preliminary report must be submitted within 30 days of the incident. AAIB has said it will meet that deadline.
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Business Standard
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
AAIB to release initial report on Ahmedabad plane crash: Parl panel
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will make public this week its preliminary report on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in which at least 260 people were killed on June 12, top Bureau officials told a Parliamentary panel on Wednesday. Sources also said that no report has been finalised so far and investigations are underway in one of the worst air disasters in India. The AAIB officials told the panel that the black box and voice recorder of the aircraft were intact and data was being investigated, the sources said. They said that the help of foreign players, including aircraft manufacturer Boeing, was sought to carry out detailed and thorough investigations. The AAIB had initiated an investigation a day after the crash and had constituted a multi-disciplinary team headed by its Director General GVG Yugandhar in line with globally prescribed norms. The sources said this is the first time such an important investigation is being held in India. The AAIB chief also responded to queries of several MPs on the deadly plane crash during a day-long meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which oversees the functioning of the Civil Aviation sector. The meeting of the panel chaired by JD-U MP Sanjay Jha began at 10 AM and ended around 6 PM, with the chiefs of all airlines in the country making a presentation on air safety. The Committee has members from several parties, including former Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Congress' Kumari Selja, Neeraj Dangi and Imran Pratapgarhi and BJP's Surendra Singh Nagar and Tapir Gao, among others. Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI 171 en-route to London Gatwick crashed into a medical hostel complex soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing at least 260 people, including 241 persons who were onboard the plane. One passenger, however, miraculously survived the accident. While there has been no official comment on the possible timeline for the preliminary report, top sources in AAIB said the initial report will be finalised this week. Under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) norms, AAIB can submit a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident. Members cutting across party lines questioned official agencies and private airlines over safety standards being followed by them, an issue that has been brought into sharp focus after the Ahmedabad plane crash last month. Sources said that it was pointed out during the meeting that there has been an over eight per cent drop in domestic airline traffic and less than one per cent in international traffic in India after the Ahmedabad crash. Some members also raised the issue of "haphazard" growth around airports in the country including dense populations living around several airports due to rapid urbanisation and growth, the sources said. It was also pointed out by some members that the Air Traffic Controllers in India are handling too much traffic, much above the international norms which could lead to human errors and result in a major disaster, they said. They said there was concern among some members over a large number of vacancies in aviation regulator DGCA, while a few others spoke about the agency not implementing several of the earlier recommendations of the committee. The DGCA, the sources said, was told to fill up the posts soon, as almost half the posts were lying vacant currently. Several official agencies, including the Airport Authority of India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), made presentations before the committee during the day-long meeting. The Secretary, Civil Aviation, summed up the day's developments and assured the members that aviation safety was the primary concern of the government. Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson was among the representatives of airlines who are attending the meeting, apart from other stakeholders. Many of these officials were part of the seating of another parliamentary committee meeting held on Tuesday. The DGCA had said on Tuesday it will put in place a mechanism to curb the surge in air ticket prices, recently witnessed during the Maha Kumbh and post-Pahalgam terror attack, as the issue coupled with concerns over air safety after the Ahmedabad plane crash, dominated proceedings at the Public Accounts Committee. On June 26, the civil aviation ministry said AAIB promptly initiated an investigation and constituted a multi-disciplinary team headed by the AAIB chief on June 13 in line with prescribed norms. The team includes an aviation medicine specialist, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer, and representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), it had said in a statement. Meanwhile, a high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary, is examining the causes that led to the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, and will also suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future.
