New Delhi: In the aftermath of the tragic crash of Air India’s London-bound Flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad — the deadliest aviation disaster in India in over three decades — Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on Saturday that the government will investigate all possible causes behind the incident, including mechanical failure, human error, and regulatory lapses.
Addressing the media during the government’s first official press conference on the tragedy, Naidu confirmed that a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee has been formed under the leadership of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to determine the root cause of the crash. The panel has been given a deadline of three months to submit its findings. This probe will run concurrently with the ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), India’s designated aviation safety authority.
In a major policy move, senior officials also revealed that the government is actively considering the formation of an independent Aviation Safety Board — modeled on the US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) — to enhance oversight and transparency in India’s aviation sector. The proposed body is likely to operate independently of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and could be empowered to review not just crash events but also the policies and safety regulations of existing aviation authorities.
One official said that the new safety board, once approved, could be tasked with supervising other regulators and recommending system-wide changes. Discussions are currently underway between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Home Affairs to finalize the board’s scope, jurisdiction, and responsibilities. Another official clarified that the board, if created, will not be a part of the DGCA and may have wider autonomy in probing aviation safety issues.
Although the AAIB currently handles accident investigations, its role does not include auditing the DGCA’s regulatory framework. Officials said the new board could fill that critical gap. One proposal includes making aviation accident data public through an open-access platform similar to the NTSB’s docket system, bringing much-needed transparency to air safety information in India.
