Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, during the Rajya Sabha speech on Monday, assured that the probe into the unfortunate Air India plane crash at Ahmedabad is being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in its entirety in an impartial manner and in accordance with international standards.
This is the first parliamentary session since the June 12 tragedy that involved flight AI171 which was on its way to Gatwick London.
The plane crashed and resulted in 270 deaths, including 241 passengers and crew members on board, triggering a series of hard questions from parliamentarians on possible causes and the government's intentions on compensating the relatives of the victims.
Reacting to BJP MP Ashok Shankarrao Chavan's question citing the AAIB's preliminary report—which had reported that both engines' fuel control switches on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner transitioned from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' a few seconds after takeoff—Naidu clarified, "This was a preliminary report… To get a final answer, we have to wait for the final report. AAIB is doing the investigation according to international norms. They are completely impartial and thinking of facts alone."
Chavan pointed out that the Boeing 787 is highly dependent on digital systems and remembered a similar incident in 2019 in Japan when a software malfunction caused sudden engine shutdowns. He asked if a similar problem within the electronic systems might have caused the fuel cut-off this time, particularly since cockpit audio revealed that neither pilot commanded the switch-off.
Naidu referred to a major technological leap in the probe process: India, for the first time, was able to decipher the black box data locally. Talking about the newly opened lab at AAIB's Delhi head office, he added, "Earlier, even if there was minor damage to the black box, we used to have to send it to the original manufacturer to crack it. It was for the first time that this was being done in India."
Raising her concerns on a larger platform, NCP (SP) MP Fauzia Khan quoted RTI figures that showed 65 engine shutdowns between 2020 and 2025, and referred to the 2023 case of Air India flight AI131 that was forced to turn around en route because of an engine malfunction. She wanted to know what the government was doing to avoid such breakdowns.
Naidu recognized that engine shutdowns can be caused by a range of factors such as bad weather and bird hit. He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) follows a strong safety system with unannounced spot checks, night inspections, and according to an annual surveillance plan on safety.
BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu raised the issue of the families of medical students who had died on the ground after the crash. Naidu replied that the government was treating all deaths—both on board and on the ground—equally seriously and that compensation and care were being given to all the affected families.
RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha asked if the government was aware of a 2018 advisory by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alerting about possible disengagement of the fuel control switch locking mechanism on certain Boeing aircraft.
Clarifying the regulatory position, Naidu said not all FAA advisories were binding. "There are two kinds of directives — one that all states must compulsorily adhere to and another, like the SAIB, which is not required," he said. He further stated that India's aviation regulator at that time evaluated the situation and concluded that no special inspections were necessary, although routine checks continued.". He also said this advisory and other aspects are under examination as part of the ongoing probe.
The talk also shifted to concerns regarding staff shortages, particularly in technical positions at the DGCA. Naidu pointed out that the growth of India's aviation industry had resulted in the creation of numerous new positions within the last two years. Nonetheless, the hiring is still going on because of the technical nature of the positions. "These are very technical posts, and there is only a very small number of people who fit, so it is a longer recruitment process," he said.
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