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Business Standard
8 hours ago
- General
- Business Standard
Air India crash probe: India permits ICAO expert to join as observer
India has decided to grant observer status to an expert from the United Nations aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in the investigation into the deadly Air India crash that occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad, news agency PTI reported. The ICAO had earlier sought observer status for its expert, which is not a common practice. Following internal deliberations, Indian authorities accepted the request. 'The Indian authorities are approaching the probe in a transparent manner,' an official said, as quoted by the report. According to the ICAO website, aircraft accident investigations are conducted in line with Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, which outlines the procedures and international standards — known as Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) — aimed at ensuring consistency and safety in global aviation. Air India crash in Ahmedabad The crash, one of the worst air disasters in India in decades, involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Air India flight AI 171. The aircraft was en route to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar area shortly after takeoff. Of the 242 people onboard, 241 were killed, with only one survivor. The total death toll stood at 270, including casualties on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) launched a probe after the tragedy and constituted a multidisciplinary team on June 13. The team includes representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an air traffic control officer, and an aviation medicine specialist. Black box analysis underway The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed on Thursday that data is being retrieved from the aircraft's black boxes. Both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) are under analysis as part of efforts to determine the cause of the crash. Parliament committee summons top officials Parliament's Transport Committee has summoned officials from Boeing as well as India's Civil Aviation Secretary, The Economic Times reported. The committee, led by Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, aims to scrutinise the incident in detail, including the procurement process of the Boeing 787-8 and its suitability for Air India's operations. The panel will also hold discussions with key stakeholders such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India. Tata promises long-term family support Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced on Thursday that Tata Sons and Tata Trusts would jointly establish a dedicated trust to offer long-term assistance to families of those who lost their lives in the accident. The move is seen as part of Tata Group's broader humanitarian response, given its ownership of Air India. (With agency inputs)
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Parliamentary standing committee to meet on July 8 to discuss aviation safety, civil aviation secretary Sinha to brief panel
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture will meet on July 8 to discuss overall civil aviation safety in the country, with Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha scheduled to brief the panel, according to sources in the know. The meeting comes close on the heels of the deadly crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad on June 12, and a series of helicopter accidents in Uttarakhand over the past couple of months. But the meeting is not specific to these accidents, and will be focused on an overall review of safety-related aspects of India's civil aviation ecosystem, The Indian Express has learnt. The parliamentary panel—headed by Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U)'s Working President Sanjay Jha—could ask other aviation sector stakeholders like safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), airlines, and private airport operators to attend the meeting, it is learnt. A decision on who all should be invited for the meeting is likely to be taken in due course. 'The committee's meeting is not about the Air India crash or the helicopter crashes. It is not an investigating agency. Aviation safety is a subject that the committee has taken up regularly in the past as well and the focus of the forthcoming meeting will be on the overall safety scenario in the aviation sector,' said a source. An Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed moments after take-off. All but one of the 242 people on board the ill-fated aircraft perished in the crash. There were a number of casualties on the ground as well. This was the worst aviation disaster for an Indian airline in at least four decades, and the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787 series of aircraft. The investigation into the fatal crash is being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is being assisted in the probe by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) given that the aircraft was manufactured by an American company—Boeing—and was designed and manufactured in the US. A UK AAIB team is also going to help with the investigation, and so are Boeing and other major component manufacturers like GE, whose engines powered the aircraft. According to aircraft accident investigation protocol, the probe report should be finalised within a year. Separately, a high-level multi-disciplinary committee headed by the Home Secretary Govind Mohan is also looking into the Ahmedabad air crash from a more holistic point of view to further strengthen the country's aviation safety ecosystem. The committee includes senior officials from the civil aviation ministry, home ministry, Gujarat government, the Indian Air Force, and various other departments and agencies including the Intelligence Bureau, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and DGCA, among others. It is expected to submit its report within three months. The objective and scope of the government's high-level committee also includes ascertaining the root cause of the crash, including assessment of possible contributory factors like mechanical failure, human error, weather conditions, and regulatory compliance-related issues, among others. It is also tasked with assessing the emergency response of various stakeholders—both Central and State governments—including rescue operations, and the coordination between them. The committee will formulate comprehensive SOPs and suggest the roles of various Central and State government organisations to deal with post-crash incident handling and management. It will also suggest policy changes, operational improvements, and training enhancements required to prevent such accidents in future, and handle the situation in the event of a crash. 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
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Parl panel summons Boeing officials, civil aviation secy in Air India crash
Two weeks after a Boeing Dreamliner with Air India crashed in Ahmedabad minutes after taking off, Parliament's Transport Committee has summoned Boeing officials and the Civil Aviation Secretary to appear before the panel, The Economic Times reported on Friday. The officials have been summoned regarding the safety concerns. Citing sources, the report stated the panel intends to conduct a detailed study of the crash and will hold deliberations with several stakeholders, including Air India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Boeing. India's worst air tragedy in decades under investigation On June 12, an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick (London) crashed into a medical college in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff. The crash resulted in the loss of nearly 270 lives, including 241 people out of 242 people on board. The committee, chaired by Rajya Sabha MP and Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Jha, oversees matters relating to transport and civil aviation. The panel is expected to submit a detailed report on aviation safety and investigate issues such as when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was procured and why it was selected over other aircraft, the report said. Data extracted from black box The developments come a day after the investigators probing the Air India Flight 171 crash extracted data from the black box at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) lab in Delhi, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said, adding that the analysis of the data is underway. In an unusual move, the United Nations offered one of its investigators to India to assist in the probe of the crash. However, earlier today, Reuters reported that the central government has denied a UN investigator to join the probe of Air India flight 171. Tata pledges long-term family support Meanwhile, N Chandrasekaran, Tata Sons' chairman, on Thursday, announced that Tata Sons and Tata Trusts will jointly form a dedicated trust to provide long-term assistance to the families of the deceased in the accident.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Air India crash: Parliamentary Committee summons Boeing officials and civil aviation secy
The parliamentary committee is also expected to hold meetings with officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India and Boeing read more This handout taken and posted on the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) On June 12, 2025 shows the back of an Air India plane after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad. Image- AFP The Parliamentary Committee on Transport has summoned Boeing officials and the civil aviation secretary to appear before it over the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier this month. The committee is tasked with conducting a detailed study of the crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft that killed 275 people, with investigations being underway to ascertain the cause of the mishap. The parliamentary committee is also expected to hold meetings with officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India and Boeing, according to a report by Economic Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The committee, led by Rajya Sabha MP and JDU national working president Sanjay Jha, also oversees matters concerning civil aviation. It is currently preparing a comprehensive report on passenger safety in air travel and plans to hold broader discussions on the Ahmedabad plane crash as part of this effort. Earlier today, India denied the United Nations permission to join the probe into the AI 171 crash. The UN's aviation agency has taken the unusual step of offering India one of its investigators to assist. Previously, the International Civil Aviation Organisation has deployed investigators to help with certain probes, such as the downing of a Malaysian plane in 2014 and a Ukrainian jetliner in 2020, but those times the agency had been asked for assistance. Meanwhile, the Union Aviation Ministry, on Thursday, said that investigators downloaded flight recorder data around two weeks after the crash. Under international rules known throughout the industry by their legal name 'Annex 13,' the decision of where to read flight recorders should be made immediately in case the evidence obtained could avert future tragedies. Earlier this week, an Indian aviation ministry official who declined to be named said the department has been 'following all the ICAO protocols.' The official added that media representatives have made updates on important events. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Air India Crash: Boeing officials & civil aviation secretary summoned by Parliament committee
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Parliament committee on Transport has summoned the civil aviation secretary and Boeing officials to appear before the committee regarding safety panel is likely to conduct a detailed study of the Ahmedabad plane crash and is planning to hold deliberations over the same with various stakeholders, including the DGCA , Air India, Boeing, and others, sources told committee, chaired by Rajya Sabha MP and JDU's national working president Sanjay Jha, also deals with issues related to civil aviation. The panel is planning to come up with a detailed report on the safety of passengers in aeroplanes, and in this regard, it is looking to hold wider discussions on the Ahmedabad plane crash, sources panel, at its next meeting next week, will decide the contours of the deliberations on this incident, sources said. Another factor which will be considered is the date when this Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 was procured (at that time the airline was under government control), why it was preferred over other planes, and how it was maintained for the last decade or so, sources presenting a report on the safety of passengers travelling on planes, a detailed analysis would be done from man, machine, mechanisms and systems in place perspective, sources in the panel said.
