In the aftermath of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha that no negative trends were reported in the reliability assessments of the aircraft involved over the past six months.
Responding to an unstarred question (No. 73) raised by CPI-M MP John Brittas, the minister also revealed that nine show-cause notices were issued to Air India during the same period, linked to five separate safety violations. “Enforcement action has been completed in respect of one violation,” Mohol stated in the Upper House.
During the last six months, a total of nine show cause notices have been issued to Air India in connection with five identified safety violations. Enforcement action has been completed in respect of one violation: Murlidhar Mohol, MoS Civil Aviation in Rajya Sabha
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2025
The update comes even as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) continues to probe the causes behind the crash of Air India flight AI-171 on June 12, 2025. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off, killing 260 people, including 19 on the ground. Only one passenger out of 242 survived.
Formal AAIB Probe Underway, Preliminary Report Released
The AAIB has launched an investigation under Rule 11 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents & Incidents) Rules, 2017, to identify the probable causes and contributing factors behind the accident. A preliminary report was published on 12 July 2025 and is available on the agency’s official website, Mohol’s response stated.
The inquiry remains ongoing, and officials have stressed that definitive conclusions will only be drawn upon the release of the final report.
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu Emphasises Unbiased Probe Into Air India Crash
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu assured the House that the investigation is being conducted with full transparency and in accordance with international norms. “We want to stand by the truth. We want to find out what exactly happened and that is only going to be coming out once the final report (of AAIB) is placed,” he said.
He dismissed speculative narratives circulating in Indian and foreign media, reaffirming that the AAIB’s findings are based solely on evidence such as the cockpit voice and flight data recorders. “They are very transparently looking at the (investigation) process right now and they are totally unbiased,” he added.
Naidu also highlighted a key milestone in India’s aviation safety efforts, noting, “This is for the first time that India decided to decode the black boxes within the country and we have done it successfully.”
Aviation Sector Expands, DGCA Staffing to Rise
Addressing broader concerns around aviation safety and regulatory oversight, Naidu said that the country witnesses around 3,500 flight departures daily, with nearly 5 lakh air passengers. He underlined that the government’s target is to bring the number of aviation incidents “down to zero.”
On strengthening regulatory capacity, the minister stated that 103 vacancies at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were filled last year, and recruitment for 190 additional positions is planned by October 2025.
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