Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday said that the investigation into the crash of Air India Flight AI 171, which claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad, is in its final stages and is likely to be completed within a month. Naidu made the remarks while speaking on the sidelines of the second edition of the Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit held at GIFT City in Gandhinagar.
“The crash investigation is in the final stage and could even be completed in a month. However, the investigation is being done by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and we don’t interfere in it. We are giving them all the resources they need,” the minister said.
Emphasising the need for transparency in the probe, Naidu said the final report would be subject to international scrutiny as the ill-fated flight had foreign nationals onboard. “There were international passengers on the flight. Anyone can question the report, and it will be up for scrutiny, so this report must be done with transparency.
Our effort is that the report is completed as soon as possible, but because of that, we cannot interrupt the process,” he said. The AAIB had submitted its preliminary investigation findings to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation on July 12, 2025.
Responding to concerns raised by some families of the victims regarding a lack of communication and delays in compensation from the airline, Naidu said the ministry was closely monitoring the situation and remained in touch with Air India.
“We are constantly monitoring the situation, and we have told the airline that they should interact with the families and clear the compensation. There is a cell in the ministry that is monitoring the situation. If there are any other problems, the ministry will try to facilitate talks through the airline,” he said.
The tragic crash took place on June 12, 2025, when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Air India flight AI 171 took off from Runway 23 of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport for London Gatwick. The aircraft crashed less than a minute after takeoff into the densely populated Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad.