Latest news with #AdityaKalra
Japan Today
5 days ago
- General
- Japan Today
Air India CEO says investigation into Ahmedabad crash raises new questions
Wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane sits on the open ground, outside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, where it took off and crashed nearby shortly afterwards, in Ahmedabad, India July 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave By Aditya Kalra and Chandini Monnappa A preliminary investigation into the crash of an Air India passenger jet last month that killed 260 people raises additional questions about the incident and the investigation is far from over, Air India's CEO said in a memo on Monday. The preliminary investigation released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before the crash of the Boeing Dreamliner. In a staff memo reviewed by Reuters, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the report had "triggered a new round of speculation in the media ... Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions." He added: "The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over." The memo said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff. All but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground were killed. According to the AAIB report, in the flight's final moments one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It added that the plane's engine two fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously, but did not say how. The preliminary report suggested no immediate action for Boeing or GE, whose engines were fitted on the aircraft. ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, has rejected any presumption of pilot error and called for a "fair, fact-based inquiry". "The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status," Campbell said in his memo. The commanding pilot of the Air India plane was Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, who had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours and, according to the Indian government, was also an Air India instructor. His co-pilot was Clive Kunder, 32, who had 3,403 hours of total experience. Air India has come under heightened scrutiny on multiple fronts following the crash. On July 4, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it would investigate budget unit Air India Express, after a Reuters report revealed the airline failed to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as mandated, and falsified records to indicate compliance. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Air India CEO says investigation into Ahmedabad crash raises new questions
By Aditya Kalra and Chandini Monnappa Air India CEO says investigation into Ahmedabad crash raises new questions NEW DELHI -A preliminary investigation into the crash of an Air India passenger jet last month that killed 260 people raises additional questions about the incident and the investigation is far from over, Air India's CEO said in a memo on Monday. The preliminary investigation released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before the crash of the Boeing Dreamliner. In a staff memo reviewed by Reuters, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the report had "triggered a new round of speculation in the media ... Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions." He added: "The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over." The memo said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff. All but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground were killed. According to the AAIB report, in the flight's final moments one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It added that the plane's engine two fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously, but did not say how. The preliminary report suggested no immediate action for Boeing or GE, whose engines were fitted on the aircraft. ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, has rejected any presumption of pilot error and called for a "fair, fact-based inquiry". "The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status," Campbell said in his memo. The commanding pilot of the Air India plane was Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, who had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours and, according to the Indian government, was also an Air India instructor. His co-pilot was Clive Kunder, 32, who had 3,403 hours of total experience. Air India has come under heightened scrutiny on multiple fronts following the crash. On July 4, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it would investigate budget unit Air India Express, after a Reuters report revealed the airline failed to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as mandated, and falsified records to indicate compliance. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Air India crash: Fuel cutoff switches flicked just after takeoff
By Allison Lampert and Aditya Kalra , Reuters An investigation team inspects the wreckage of Air India flight 171 a day after it crashed in a residential area near the airport, in Ahmedabad on 13 June, 2025. Investigators recovered a black box recorder from the crash site. Photo: AFP/ Sam Panthaky A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people last month showed three seconds after taking off, the plane's engines fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff, starving the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner immediately began to lose thrust and sink down, according to the report released on Saturday by Indian aviation accident investigators. One pilot can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer, nor which pilot transmitted "mayday, mayday, mayday" just before the crash. At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the run position and the report said there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. Both pilots were experienced jet pilots with about 19,000 total flying hours between them, including more than 9000 on the 787. The preliminary report also does not say how the switch could have flipped to the cutoff position on the 12 June London-bound flight from the Indian city of Ahmedabad. US aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said a key question is why were the switches moved in a way that is inconsistent with normal operations. "Did they move on their own or did they move because of the pilots?" he asked. "And if they were moved because of a pilot, why?" US aviation safety expert John Cox said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. "You can't bump them and they move," he said. Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines. It is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. "At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers" India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said. Air India, Boeing and GE Aerospace did not respond immediately to requests for comment. A plume of smoke rising after Air India flight 171 crashed near the airport in Ahmedabad. Photo: @ASHLOVETEA via AFP The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. The plane's two black boxes, both combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India. Black boxes provide crucial data such as altitude, airspeed and final pilot conversations which help in narrowing down possible causes of the crash. Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report due 30 days after the accident according to international rules, and a final report expected within a year. Air India has been under intense scrutiny since the crash. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it plans to investigate its budget airline, Air India Express, after Reuters reported the carrier did not follow a directive to change engine parts of an Airbus A320 in a timely manner and falsified records to show compliance. India's aviation watchdog has also warned Air India for breaching rules for flying three Airbus planes with overdue checks on escape slides and in June warned it about "serious violations" of pilot duty timings. The US National Transportation Safety Board declined to comment on the release of the report. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy had previously urged the Indian government to be transparent in the interest of aviation safety. - Reuters
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ambani's Reliance Jio delays India IPO, 2025 listing not on cards
By Aditya Kalra and Scott Murdoch NEW DELHI/SYDNEY: Indian telecom and digital giant Reliance Jio Platforms, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani , has decided not to launch its IPO this year as planned, delaying one of the country's most anticipated stock offerings, two people familiar with the matter said. Valued by analysts at over $100 billion, Jio wants to achieve higher revenues and a bigger subscriber base for its telecom business, and expand its other digital offerings, so that its valuation can increase further before an IPO, said the first source in describing the rationale for the delay. Shares of its parent conglomerate Reliance Industries fell sharply after the Reuters report and were down 1.8% in afternoon Mumbai trade. Given its significant weighting in key indexes, Reliance's fall also dragged the broader Indian market into negative territory. Nearly 80% of Jio Platforms' latest annual revenue of $17.6 billion came from its telecom business -- Reliance Jio Infocomm , India's biggest player. But Ambani is also fast-expanding his other niche digital businesses focused on developing apps, connected devices and AI solutions for enterprises. Reliance Jio is also set to lock horns with Elon Musk, who is expected to launch Starlink internet service in India in coming months. Jio, which counts Google and Meta among investors, has also partnered with Nvidia to develop AI infrastructure. In 2019, Ambani said Jio will "move towards" a listing within five years. And last year, Reuters reported Reliance was targeting a 2025 Mumbai listing for Jio Platforms, aiming for it to be India's biggest ever IPO. "Jio (IPO) is not going to happen this year, it's just not possible. The company wants the business to be more mature," said the first source. Both the sources, who declined to be identified as the strategy is confidential, said Reliance had appointed no bankers so far to discuss a potential stock market offering. Reliance did not respond to Reuters queries. The telecom business, Jio Infocomm, had struggled as tariff hikes led to some churn in its subscriber base but has returned to a growth path this year. It has more than 488 million subscribers. Indian brokerage IIFL Capital said in April it was cutting Jio's core profit estimate for 2025-26 by 3% due to "higher costs and lower flow-through from the next tariff hike assumed in late 2025". It also cut its valuation estimate from $117 billion to $111 billion, though Jefferies values it at $136 billion. The first source declined to share the valuation that Jio had been targeting in the IPO, but said it was already "easily above $100 billion". India's IPO market had its best-ever year in 2024, with $20.5 billion raised, second only to the U.S. Amid trade wars and Middle East tensions, market sentiment turned jittery, but is recovering. India is the world's No. 2 IPO market with $5.86 billion raised by June this year, accounting for the 12% of total proceeds globally, LSEG data shows. Reuters has previously reported the Reliance Retail IPO was being delayed as the company wants to address operational challenges, including less than ideal earnings per square feet of space for the retailer, which runs India's biggest grocery store network of 3,000 supermarkets. The Reliance Retail IPO was unlikely before 2027 or 2028, the person added, without elaborating on the reasons. In recent years, Ambani, Asia's richest man, raised $25 billion collectively for digital, telecom and retail businesses from the likes of KKR, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, General Atlantic and Silver Lake. "The investors are not upset (about IPO delays). They know the money is sitting in front of them," said the first source.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Regulators warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records
By Aditya Kalra and Aditi Shah NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's aviation watchdog reprimanded Air India's budget carrier in March for not timely changing engine parts of an Airbus A320 as directed by European Union's aviation safety agency, and falsifying records to show compliance, a government memo showed. In a statement, Air India Express told Reuters it acknowledged the error to the Indian watchdog and undertook "remedial action and preventive measures". Air India has been under intense scrutiny since the June Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad which killed all but one of the 242 people onboard. The world's worst aviation disaster in a decade is still being investigated. The engine issue in the Air India Express' Airbus was raised on March 18, months before the crash. But the regulator has this year also warned parent Air India for breaching rules for flying three Airbus planes with overdue checks on escape slides, and in June warned it about "serious violations" of pilot duty timings. Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India, which is owned by the Tata Group. It has more than 115 aircraft and flies to more than 50 destinations, with 500 daily flights. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2023 issued an airworthiness directive to address a "potential unsafe condition" on CFM International LEAP-1A engines, asking for replacement of some components such as engine seals and rotating parts, saying some manufacturing deficiencies had been found. The agency's directive said "this condition, if not corrected, could lead to failure of affected parts, possibly resulting in high energy debris release, with consequent damage to, and reduced control of, the aeroplane." The Indian government's confidential memo in March sent to the airline, seen by Reuters, said that surveillance by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed the parts modification "was not complied" on an engine of an Airbus A320 "within the prescribed time limit". "In order to show that the work has been carried out within the prescribed limits, the AMOS records have apparently been altered/forged," the memo added, referring to the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System software used by airlines to manage maintenance and airworthiness. The "mandatory" modification was required on Air India Express' VT-ATD plane, the memo added. That plane typically flies on domestic routes and some international destinations such as Dubai and Muscat, according to the AirNav Radar website. The lapse "indicates that accountable manager has failed to ensure quality control," it added/ Air India Express told Reuters its technical team missed the scheduled implementation date for parts replacement due to the migration of records on its monitoring software, and fixed the problem soon after it was identified. It did not give dates of compliance or directly address DGCA's comment about records being altered, but said that after the March memo it took "necessary administrative actions", which included removing the quality manager from their position and suspending the deputy continuing airworthiness manager. The DGCA and the European safety agency did not respond to Reuters queries. Airbus and CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and Safran, also did not respond. The lapse was first flagged during a DGCA audit in October 2024 and the plane in question took only a few trips after it was supposed to replace the CFM engine parts, a source with direct knowledge said. "Such issues should be fixed immediately. It's a grave mistake. The risk increases when you are flying over sea or near restricted airpsace," said Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at the India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The Indian government told parliament in February that authorities warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Three of those cases involved Air India Express, and eight Air India.
