Ahmedabad Air Crash Sparks Urgent Review of Aviation Safety Budget: Parliament Panel Flags Gaps in Accident Probe Funding

New Delhi: In the wake of the tragic Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 297 lives, a March 2025 parliamentary report highlighting underfunding in India’s aviation safety infrastructure has returned to the spotlight — prompting calls for immediate budgetary correction and systemic reform.

The crash, involving a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that plummeted into a medical college campus, has intensified scrutiny on the readiness and resources of key aviation regulatory and investigative bodies. The sole survivor among the 271 onboard and ground victims has become a symbol of both tragedy and survival in a country still reeling from its deadliest civil aviation disaster in years.

Now, the Parliament Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, whose report was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on March 25, 2025, is being hailed for its timely warning. The report had strongly criticized the “imbalanced and inadequate” funding allocations to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

According to the report, the DGCA was allocated ₹30 crore, while the AAIB — now leading the Ahmedabad crash probe — received only ₹20 crore, and BCAS was given a mere ₹15 crore for the financial year 2025–26.

“There is a clear mismatch between the country’s aviation growth and its safety oversight funding,” the panel warned. “As India’s airport count and passenger numbers surge, so must our capacity to prevent and investigate accidents.”

India, now the third-largest aviation market globally, has witnessed a dramatic expansion in aviation infrastructure — with the number of operational airports doubling from 74 in 2014 to 147 by 2022, and a target of 220 by 2025. Despite this rapid growth, the panel said, accident investigation and aviation security bodies continue to be “critically under-resourced.”

The panel further recommended a realignment of capital outlay, urging the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure that the DGCA’s large share is not just symbolic but also accountable, efficient, and transparent. It also emphasized strengthening AAIB’s technical capacity, including real-time black box data analysis and field response teams.

In response to public pressure following the AI171 disaster, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is expected to address Parliament next week with a revised plan for strengthening aviation safety mechanisms, which may include emergency funding for AAIB and BCAS.

Meanwhile, the AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the AI171 incident, including cockpit data retrieval, maintenance logs, and Air Traffic Control (ATC) records. International agencies, including Boeing and the FAA, are expected to collaborate.