Days after the devastating crash of Air India Flight 171, which killed at least 260 people, investigators from around the world are racing to uncover what went wrong.
The tragedy has shattered the airline’s narrative of renewal under Tata Group ownership and exposed alarming gaps in safety culture and regulatory oversight in India’s rapidly growing aviation market.
A recent report revealed that just days before the crash, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had warned the airline about operating three Airbus aircraft without mandatory emergency slide inspections, with some checks overdue by more than three months.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Police have begun moving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner wreckage, which crashed into a medical college hostel, to a site near the city’s airport, where investigators will attempt to reconstruct the debris — a process that could take months.
Authorities have identified all but one of the 260 bodies recovered, and funerals have begun. Yet the tragedy remains etched in public memory, fuelling calls for a swift and thorough investigation to provide answers and ensure such a disaster is never repeated.
Amid speculation that the aircraft’s black box would be sent abroad for analysis, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu clarified that the black box remains in India and is currently with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), where the investigation is progressing.
Funerals held for victims
The British man who survived last week’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad helped lay his brother to rest at a funeral in Diu. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, still bandaged from his injuries, joined mourners as a pallbearer for his brother Ajay, who perished in the crash. The brothers were among 242 passengers on board; the crash also claimed 19 lives on the ground.
Elsewhere, a joint funeral was held for three British victims — Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee, and four-year-old Sara Nanabawa — with their family expressing gratitude to the community for its support.
In Dagachi Dui, 25-year-old Faizan Rafik, who was returning home to Leicester, was buried after prayers at the Faizan e Madina mosque. “We kept hoping for good news, but there were no updates,” said his cousin, Sameer Rafik.
Hundreds gathered in Mumbai for the funeral of Roshni Songhare, 26, a cabin crew member. Her mother Rajshree, a domestic worker, collapsed in grief. “She was full of dreams. Her parents gave everything to support her,” said Songhare’s uncle.
Similar scenes unfolded at the funeral of crew member Deepak Pathak in Badlapur. His body was handed over after a nine-day DNA identification process, with a large turnout following the procession to Manjarli crematorium.
Funerals have also been held for Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and crew members Shradha Dhavan, Aparna Mahadik, and Maithili Patil in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, UK-based Umang Patel, whose father Kirit Patel died in the crash, now faces another struggle — fighting Royal Mail’s planned closure of his Somerset village post office, which makes up 60% of his income. The community has rallied, gathering over 1,200 signatures and raising £11,000 through crowdfunding. Patel has asked for the campaign to end after funeral costs were met, saying they didn’t want to take advantage of public generosity.
No plan to send black box abroad, says minister
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the black box from the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad is being examined by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), dismissing reports that it would be sent abroad for analysis.
Recovered on June 13, the black box — which records crucial flight data — remains in India. “It is all speculation. The black box is with the AAIB, and the investigation is ongoing,” Mr Naidu said, adding that data retrieval is a technical process and will take time.
Speaking at the Helicopters & Small Aircraft Summit 2025, Mr Naidu also confirmed that a high-level panel is probing the crash and the investigation is progressing smoothly. “Decoding the black box will provide key insights into what happened just before the crash,” he said.
Nearly all victims identified in Air India crash
Authorities in Gujarat say they have identified all but one of the 260 bodies recovered after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad earlier this month.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed in a fireball shortly after takeoff on June 12, striking a medical college hostel. One passenger survived, while 19 people on the ground also died.
The death toll is now confirmed at 260, slightly below earlier estimates of 270. “We have identified 259 victims — 240 passengers and 19 on the ground. DNA results for one passenger are still awaited,” said Rakesh Joshi, superintendent of Ahmedabad civil hospital.
Officials cautioned that the toll may still change as the crash site is being cleared. So far, the remains of 256 victims have been handed to families — 253 identified through DNA, six by facial recognition.
DGCA tells Air India to dismiss 3 officials after deadly crash
India’s aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on June 21 ordered Air India to terminate three employees over recent safety lapses — just days after a London-bound Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 270 people.
The DGCA instructed the airline to initiate internal disciplinary action and remove the three officials from all duties related to crew scheduling and rostering. Among those named in the June 20 order is a divisional vice president of the Tata Group-owned airline.
Air India has been directed to submit a report on the actions taken against the officials within 10 days.
An Air India spokesperson acknowledged the DGCA’s directive to terminate three employees over safety lapses and confirmed the order has been implemented. “We acknowledge the regulator’s directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, our Chief Operations Officer will directly oversee the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Air India remains committed to full compliance with safety protocols,” the airline said.
Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson also reassured the public and employees that the airline’s fleet remains safe, following additional checks, especially on its Boeing 787 aircraft. “Have our aircraft been deemed safe? Yes. We have completed precautionary checks on our 787 fleet as requested by the DGCA, which confirmed they meet required standards,” Wilson stated. He added that the airline will continue voluntary pre-flight checks as an extra precaution, emphasising, “Where there is any doubt, we will not release aircraft, of any type, for service.”
Last week, DGCA had warned Air India for operating Airbus planes with overdue or unverified emergency equipment checks — a violation of airworthiness and safety standards, according to documents.
Injured student battles trauma after tragedy
Junior doctors and relatives are still grappling with the trauma of the Air India Flight 171 crash, which killed 270 people after the plane ploughed into their hostel in western India, triggering a devastating fireball.
Among the survivors is 21-year-old physiotherapy student Dr Shravani Varpe, now recovering from second-degree burns. With her hands in bandages and fingers immobile, she is determined to complete her final exam with the help of a writer. "I’m really struggling but I must hold myself together," she said.
The psychological scars run deeper. “Even small sounds take us back to that terrifying day,” Dr Varpe recalled. “We know these burn scars will last for life.”
She and fellow students narrowly escaped the blaze by soaking blankets and climbing out onto a balcony. “At first, we heard the noise, then saw a fireball burst through the window... the smoke quickly filled the building, and we couldn’t breathe.”
In support, UAE-based philanthropist Dr Shamsheer Vayalil pledged ₹6 crore (£60,000,000) to bereaved families and injured doctors, while Air India’s parent Tata Group promised ₹1 crore (£10,000,000)to each victim’s family.
Dr Vayalil said he was moved by memories of his own time in Indian hostels as a young medical student. “These students carried the hopes of entire communities. Their dreams must not be forgotten,” he said.