Supreme Court questions selective leaks of Air India crash preliminary report
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The Supreme Court on Monday questioned "selective" leaks of the preliminary inquiry report prepared by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the agency probing the Air India crash in Ahmedabad.
The government’s probe agency faced widespread criticism as the contents of the preliminary report were allegedly leaked to the Western media even before it was officially released in India, leading to a narrative of pilot error in the Western media.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent investigation into the crash of Air India flight AI-171. Confidentiality must be maintained till the inquiry is taken to its logical conclusion, said Justice Kant.
The apex court also sent notices to the Centre and the aviation regulator, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in response to a petition filed by Safety Matters Foundation.
The Ahmedabad air crash killed all but one of the 242 people on board and 28 others on the ground.
In an interview with Fortune India following the Air India crash on June 12, 2025, Amit Singh, the founder of Safety Matters Foundation, said that people who work in safety are not surprised that the AI-171 accident happened. “This had to happen,” said Singh.
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In addition to the AAIB probe, the government has also formed a high-level committee under the Union home secretary to conduct an “independent” and “comprehensive inquiry”. “Everybody is trying to save themselves after the accident. The DGCA must be probed. But the regulator itself is in the high-powered committee. Who will ask the DGCA why it did not act on these show cause notices?” asked Singh.
In March 2025, a parliamentary panel had flagged “modest” funding of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). “The aviation sector is expanding so much. You need more trained manpower. If you are not recruiting, you will always be behind. Airlines have ordered over 1,000 aircraft,” said Singh.
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