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A high-level multi-disciplinary committee was formed by the government to investigate the Air India tragedy
Priya Verma | June 14, 2025 12:27 PM CST

New Delhi: To investigate what caused the June 12 accident of Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London), which claimed 241 lives, the government established a high-level multidisciplinary team.

Air India Flight AI-171
Air india flight ai-171

“To investigate the reasons behind the June 12, 2025, accident of Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London), a High-Level Multidisciplinary Committee has been established. According to an order from the Civil Aviation Ministry, “The Committee will review the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future.”

“The Committee will not be a substitute for other inquiries being conducted by relevant organizations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future,” the directive said.

Within three months, the committee will publish its findings. “The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC logs, and witness testimonies,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the Home Secretary will lead the Committee, which will also include aviation specialists, the Indian Air Force, and members from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The committee will evaluate the different stakeholders’ emergency response, including coordination and rescue efforts. In order to avoid similar incidents and deal with post-crash incident conditions, it will also recommend policy changes, operational improvements, and training upgrades.

The decree said that the purpose of the committee’s formation was to determine the crash’s underlying cause.

Additionally, it said that in order to avoid such occurrences in the future, the committee would suggest the required enhancements and create appropriate SOPs. International best practices for avoiding and managing such accidents would also be included in these SOPs.

The committee will evaluate the emergency reaction of several stakeholders (both Central and State Governments), including rescue operations and coordination among them, according to the directive, which was issued at about 12.40 am on Saturday.

“The Committee will review current policies for dealing with these kinds of situations… review the nation’s records of prior aircraft accidents of this kind,” it said.

Additionally, it said that it will create a thorough SOP and recommend the responsibilities of all federal and state government agencies and organizations in dealing with and managing post-crash incidents.

The Director General (DG) of the Indian Air Force’s Inspection and Safety, the Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the DG of the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the special director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the secretary of civil aviation, the secretary of the Gujarat home department, the state disaster response authority, the Ahmedabad police commissioner, the Home Secretary and secretary or joint secretary of the home affairs ministry, and the Director of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will make up the Committee, as directed by the order.

According to the directive, the committee may also include any additional members it deems appropriate, such as aviation specialists, accident investigators, and legal counsel.

In addition to interviewing the crew, Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs), and other pertinent staff, it will do site inspections. According to the government, if foreigners or aircraft manufacturers are implicated, the committee will work with international organizations.

Soon after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday, the AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 airliner headed for London’s Gatwick crashed. Only one of the 242 passengers on board the plane survived the disaster, according to the company.

For more information, the airline, which is owned by the Tata group, has established a dedicated passenger hotline at 1800 5691 444. The number to contact from outside of India is +91 8062779200.

The family of each individual killed in the collision would get Rs 1 crore in compensation, according to the Tata Group.


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