AI171 Crash: Families Await Answers as Report Delayed
Minister Promises Thorough Probe Into Air India Crash Cause
One Year After Air India Crash That Killed 260+, Families Still Await Answers as Investigation Continues
AHMEDABAD / NEW DELHI – One year after Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing over 260 people, families of the victims are still waiting for answers about what caused one of the world’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years. The anniversary passed on Friday with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) yet to issue a final report—despite expectations that the probe would be completed around the one-year mark.
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, came down less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on 12 June 2025. All but one of the 242 people on board were killed, along with 19 people on the ground when the aircraft struck a medical college hostel. The sole survivor, a flight attendant, remains hospitalized with severe injuries.
The anniversary coincides with the expiry of the one-year timeline recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the submission of a final accident investigation report. That deadline has now passed without a completed report from Indian authorities.
In a post on X marking the first anniversary of the crash, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu indicated that the investigation remains open. “Today, as we mark one year since the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 accident, we remember with profound sorrow those who lost their lives and extend our heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones,” Naidu said.
We remain committed to a thorough and objective determination of the causes of the accident and to further enhancing aviation safety,” he added.
The statement is the clearest indication yet from the government that the inquiry remains ongoing. The AAIB had not provided a public update in recent months, and relatives of the deceased have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of information. Several families have filed Right to Information (RTI) requests seeking access to preliminary findings, only to be told that the investigation is still in progress.
Aviation safety experts note that complex crash investigations can take longer than 12 months, particularly when multiple systems—including airframe, engines, flight controls and human factors—must be examined. However, the absence of an interim public statement has fueled speculation and grief among those who lost loved ones.
The crash prompted India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to order additional safety audits of Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Indian carriers, though no fleet-wide grounding was imposed. Boeing has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, referring questions to the AAIB.
For the families marking the first anniversary without their loved ones—and without answers—the wait continues.