The Aviation Minister has said that sabotage and engine failure cannot be ruled out as the Investigation into the Air India Crash picks up pace. Notably, it was the first recorded fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction in 2011.
All Angles Must Be Examined
The crash of Air India flight AI171 took the lives of 260 people in total. Rescue works have identified the bodies of 241 passengers and crew. They also identified 19 people on the ground. In an unusual setting for such accidents, investigators are in a unique position. They can speak to the sole survivor of the crash. This survivor may provide valuable information on the flight’s final moments.
“Right now, the investigation is ongoing. However, this is a rare incident. It has never happened before that both the engines got shut at the same time,” Murlidhar Mohol, minister of state for civil aviation, told the media on Saturday evening.
He highlighted that this was a multi-pronged investigation. All angles had to be fully investigated. This includes mechanical malfunction, human error, bird strike, and deliberate sabotage. Speaking to Indian News outlet NDTV, he said: “Right now, the investigation is ongoing… we are looking at CCTV footage of Ahmedabad over the last 30 days. Those who came and those who went through screening, all the passports,”
With authorities finding both the black box and the cockpit voice recorder, they have been sent back to the AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s) newly established lab in New Delhi. Following their recovery, it was confirmed that they would be fully decoded domestically. There is no need for international dispatch.
The investigation team, supported by U.S. NTSB and UK counterparts, has begun extracting vital data. A preliminary report is anticipated within three months
Wider Safety and Regulatory Measures
In the wake of the disaster, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation initiated a fleet-wide audit of all 33 Boeing 787s operated by Air India. However, it has been delayed due to the ongoing international political tensions between Israel and Iran. Consequently, this has resulted in a mass airspace closure across large areas of the Middle Eastern Airspace.
The investigation of the fleet audit is not the only news that has come out in the last weeks since the accident. News recently surfaced that India’s directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) had directed Air India to remove three senior officials from their crew scheduling roles. This is due to serious breaches in procedures.
The news opened the door for international comments and concerns regarding the Air India airlines safety record. Some people took to social media, saying that soon the lies would all be exposed.
Read More: Air India to Remove 3 Flight Operations Officials Over Regulatory Breaches
Air India Response and Industry Repercussions
Air India officials have stressed that the aircraft and its engines had a spotless maintenance record. According to Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, the engines were inspected in March and during the prior year, and the flight crew were seasoned aviators.
Notably, Air India Flight 182—infamously bombed in 1985—remains India’s deadliest aviation terror incident. Authorities say no connection between that tragedy and AI 171 has been established.
What Comes Next
With the investigators saying that all angles must be looked into, we will have to wait for the preliminary report. Only then can any real judgment be passed.
The investigation regarding the accident will have global repercussions should anything outside of the regular scope be identified as the cause. In particular, this applies to Boeing. They have been experiencing an extremely tough period in the media following news of countless safety breaches and corner cutting.
Why Sabotage Is Being Looked Into
One reason the aviation minister has stated that sabotage is something they are looking into is due to the high increase this year in aircraft bomb threats regarding Air India flights.
Air India has received hundreds of hoax calls. However, should a plane have been taken down on an occasion where this wasn’t the case, we could expect to see harsher and even extreme regulator changes. These would affect how bomb threats are treated.
The increased bomb threat scares have been a constant thorn in the side of Air India since October 2024. Specifically, the airline got 10 hoax bomb threats made on its flights over 2 days, Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 October, 2024.
It caused major disruption for the airline and cost thousands in delays and rebooking fees. This happened as international and domestic flights alike where make emergency declarations and in some cases diverting.
Air India Presses On With Fleet Renewal
Amidst all of the talk regarding the crash, the airline has continued to press on with its fleet renewal. Aircraft repainting and cabin retrofit programs are in full swing.
The airline CEO Campbell Wilson has expressed his frustration over delays in the airline’s planned fleet retrofit. Speaking at IATA’s 81st Annual General Meeting in Delhi on June 2, Mr. Wilson said that four out of five of the carrier’s seat suppliers are facing delays.
He noted that one supplier even “walked away” from the contract. This action caused a two-year delay, stating, “they left us in the lurch.” Other suppliers are also running about one year behind schedule.
While speaking to the press he confirmed that the next aircraft on the list for retrofit had been the airline’s fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. However, it is not yet known if this is still the current plan. The airline has grounded most of that fleet for further inspections following the crash.
Delays from suppliers have already made the time frame for the airline’s renewal pushed to a later date. Until the investigation is completed, it seems unlikely that the airline can continue with “business as normal.” Especially if signs of sabotage are confirmed to be true.
Work had originally been planned to start in July for the aircraft. It will be interesting to see now if the airline will continue with this planned time frame.