Parliament Question: Investigation in Crash of Air India Flight

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 796 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23rd July 2026 ) INVESTIGATION IN CRASH OF AIR INDIA FLIGHT 796. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the present status of the investigation into the crash of Air India Flight AI- 171 including the agencies involved and the stage of the inquiry; (b) whether any timeline has been fixed for completion of the investigation and submission of the final report and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government has undertaken any review of aviation safety standards, operational procedures, aircraft maintenance protocols, pilot training or regulatory oversight following the AI-171 crash and if so, the details thereof; and (d) the details of the corrective and preventive measures taken or proposed to be taken to enhance aviation safety and prevent recurrence of similar accidents? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) & (b): A preliminary investigation report was published by AAIB on 12 July 2025 and same is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The investigation is under progress. All probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated. As per the ICAO Annex 13 requirements, the interim statement has been published by AAIB on 12 June 2026. The final investigation report will be published after completion of the investigation. AAIB is conducting its investigation transparently and is yet to conclude the investigation.(c) & (d): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has a systematic safety oversight mechanism for monitoring compliance with the Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), encompassing all aircraft and airport operators. The safety oversight process includes regulatory audits, night surveillance, ramp inspections, spot checks and special audits. DGCA publishes the Annual Surveillance Plan (ASP) on its website. The findings of audits, surveillance and spot checks are followed up with the operator concerned for compliance. Post AI-171 accident, the following measures have been taken: (i) DGCA General Safety Circular 01/2025 dated 19th June 2025 has been implemented for comprehensive special audit to assess aviation ecosystem & strengthen aviation safety architecture. (ii) DGCA has issued General Safety Circular 02/2025 dated 11th December, 2025 on advance preparedness & timely compliance of specific operating regulations. (iii) One-time enhanced inspections have been carried out on B-787 to verify the serviceability and the safe operation of scheduled flights. (iv) DGCA directed M/s Air India to carry out additional maintenance action on B-787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engine. ******