High-Level Committee Formed to Probe Air India AI-171 Crash in Ahmedabad

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th June: The Indian government has constituted a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to investigate the causes behind the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171, which claimed 241 lives on June 12, 2025. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. Only one of the 242 people on board survived.

An order issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry clarified the committee’s broad mandate: “The Committee will examine the existing 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 Ministry emphasized that this committee will not replace other ongoing inquiries by relevant organizations. Instead, its primary focus will be on formulating future SOPs for prevention and post-crash management. The committee is mandated to publish its report within three months and will have full access to all relevant records, including flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance logs, Air Traffic Control (ATC) logs, and witness testimonies.

Committee Composition and Objectives
The committee will be headed by the Home Secretary and include senior representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Indian Air Force, and various aviation experts. Key members will also include the Secretary of Civil Aviation, a representative from the Gujarat Home Department, a representative from the State Disaster Response Authority, the Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad, the Director General (DG) of Inspection and Safety from the Indian Air Force, the DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the DG of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a special director from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Director of the Directorate of Forensic Science Services. The committee retains the power to include additional members, such as aviation experts, accident investigators, and legal advisors, as deemed necessary.

Its core objective is to ascertain the root cause of the crash and recommend necessary improvements, as well as formulate suitable SOPs to prevent similar incidents in the future. These guidelines will also incorporate international best practices. The committee will specifically assess the emergency response of various stakeholders, including central and state governments, focusing on rescue operations and inter-agency coordination. It will also examine existing guidelines for handling such incidents and review records of previous aircraft crashes in the country.

The order, issued early Saturday morning, further stated that the committee will formulate comprehensive SOPs defining the roles of all central and state government agencies and organizations in post-crash incident handling and management. The committee is authorized to conduct site inspections and interview crew, Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs), and other relevant personnel. It will also collaborate with international agencies if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved.

In response to the tragedy, the Tata group-owned Air India has established a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, for more information. International callers can reach +91 8062779200. The Tata Group has also announced a compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash.