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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             JUNE 27, 2025     |  The Indian Eye                    6

                Air India Crash Triggers Crisis:

                  Investigators Hunt for Clues as

                                Airline Grounds Flights

             As the mystery deepens around the deadly AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, investigators push ahead with a high-stakes
                 probe while Air India scales back international operations in a bid to restore confidence and control damage

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            jets are undergoing review. “As a con-
                                                                                                                  fidence-building  measure,  we’ve  also
            Ahmedabad /Mumbai
                                                                                                                  extended  enhanced  checks  to  our
                  he  nation  continues  to  reel                                                                 Boeing  777  aircraft,”  he  said.  “This
                  from the tragic Air India AI-                                                                   will allow more backup aircraft to be
            T171 crash that killed 241 of the                                                                     available if new issues arise.”
            242 people onboard, including former                                                                      Air India has apologized to affect-
            Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani,                                                                  ed passengers, offering rescheduling
            when  the  Boeing  787-8  Dreamliner                                                                  options and full refunds. Neverthe-
            went down minutes after takeoff from                                                                  less, the disruption is significant for a
            Ahmedabad on June 12. While shock                                                                     carrier trying to reposition itself as a
            and grief dominate the public re-                                                                     global player under the Tata Group’s
            sponse, investigators, regulators, and                                                                stewardship.
            airline executives are grappling with
            a complex and evolving crisis. At the                                                                      Brand Image and Trust
            heart of the story lies a dual challenge:
            solving the mystery behind the crash                                                                       or Air India, the AI-171 crash is
            and stabilizing the operations and rep-                                                                    more than a technical failure—
            utation of India’s national carrier.                                                                  Fit’s a test of reputation. The air-
                                                                                                                  line has worked in recent years to shed
               The Unanswered Questions                                                                           its legacy of delays, service issues, and
                                               Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel attends a prayer meeting held for former CM late Vijay Rupani, who   technical faults. This tragedy has deliv-
                  he crash occurred under cir-                                                                    ered a blow to that renewed image.
                  cumstances that remain deeply   lost his life in the Air India crash, in Gandhinagar on Thursday. (@Bhupendrapbjp X/ANI Photo)  Experts note that how Air India
            Tunclear. The aircraft had passed                                                                     responds in the coming weeks—es-
            recent maintenance checks, with CEO   As  per  official  statements,  these  India’s assurances about fleet mainte-  pecially in terms of transparent com-
            Campbell Wilson confirming that the  flight  recorders  may  be  sent  abroad  nance, the psychological impact of the  munication, passenger support, and
            plane was “well-maintained,” with its  for  decoding,  depending  on  techni-  crash—its abruptness, its death toll,  visible safety commitments—will de-
            last major inspection in June 2023 and  cal evaluations. But the Ministry has  and the involvement of a prominent  termine how the brand is perceived
            both engines individually reviewed as  urged media and stakeholders to re-  political  figure—has  created  a  mo-  globally. The decision to voluntarily
            recently as March and April 2025.  frain from speculation, emphasizing  ment of reckoning.            reduce operations and conduct com-
                Yet, the aircraft crashed into the  professionalism and transparency as   Operationally, Air India has  prehensive checks, while disruptive,
            boys’ hostel of BJ Medical College just  the inquiry progresses.    been forced into retrenchment. As of  has been seen as a positive step by
            minutes after takeoff. This discrepan-                              June  21,  the  airline  announced  the  some aviation analysts.
            cy—between a technically cleared air-     Rapid Response            temporary suspension of three inter-  Yet, the broader aviation ecosys-
            craft and a catastrophic outcome—has                                national routes—Delhi-Nairobi, Am-  tem also faces scrutiny. In meetings
            added layers of urgency and mystery   n the immediate aftermath, Civil  ritsar-London (Gatwick), and Goa  with other carriers like SpiceJet, In-
            to the investigation.                Aviation Minister Ram Mohan  (Mopa)-London—and  reduced  fre-    diGo, and  Akasa,  the Civil Aviation
                The Aircraft Accident Investiga- INaidu Kinjarapu convened emer-  quency on over a dozen others, includ-  Ministry reviewed fleet safety, passen-
            tion Bureau (AAIB), under the Min-  gency meetings with airport directors,  ing  high-demand  routes  to  Toronto,  ger experience, and communication
            istry of Civil Aviation, immediately  airlines, and the top brass of Air India.  San Francisco, Paris, and Melbourne.  strategies. Plans are now underway to
            launched a formal probe. Assisted by  The ministry laid out directives to sup-  These cuts will remain in effect until at  institutionalize regular operational au-
            teams from the U.S. National Trans-  port affected passengers, manage op-  least July 15.             dits across airlines.
            portation Safety Board (NTSB) and  erational disruption, and reassure the   The reason: enhanced safety   As families mourn, investigators
            the aircraft’s original manufacturer  public. The AAIB completed key evi-  checks and reduced aircraft availabil-  work, and airlines regroup, one thing is
            under ICAO protocols, a multidis-  dence collection phases swiftly, aided  ity, compounded by Middle Eastern  certain: the mystery of AI-171 must be
            ciplinary team has been combing  by local authorities, but deeper analy-  airspace closures and new night-flight  resolved—not just for accountability,
            through evidence. Two black box  sis is ongoing.                    restrictions in Europe.           but to restore confidence in the skies.
            units—a combined Cockpit Voice Re-    The incident has prompted a       CEO Campbell Wilson explained  Until then, every grounded flight and
            corder (CVR) and Digital Flight Data  fresh wave of scrutiny on airline main-  that of the 33 Boeing 787 aircraft in  every delayed journey will carry the
            Recorder (DFDR)—were recovered  tenance protocols, pilot training, and  Air  India’s  fleet,  26  have  been  rein-  weight of unanswered questions, and the
            on June 13 and June 16.           emergency preparedness. Despite Air  spected and cleared; the remaining  hope that such a tragedy never repeats.

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