Air India employees have marked the first anniversary of the AI171 crash by observing a two-minute silence in offices across the world.
On 12 June 2025, a London-bound Air India aircraft crashed in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad shortly after take-off, killing all but one of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground. A passenger who was thrown from the plane survived.
“In remembrance of AI171, we will observe a two-minute silence on 12 June, from 1.39pm to 1.41pm IST,” the airline said in a memo to staff. “Employees may observe this moment at their workstations,” it added, “those at airport check-in counters or engaged in essential ground or flight duties may continue their responsibilities as required.”
The observance comes as the investigation into the crash remains pending.
The delay in releasing the final inquiry report was attributed to the need to complete an analysis of the airplane's engines, Reuters reported, citing sources. The GE Aerospace-made engines are at the centre of the probe.
Investigators conducted engine testing in April and visited France last month as part of an analysis of the engine management unit, the news agency reported.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation’s standards require investigators to produce the final accident report within a year of a crash. If they can’t, they must release an update on the inquiry on every anniversary of the disaster. The regulations also require the final accident report to reveal the probable cause and offer recommendations on avoiding similar incidents in the future.
But India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is nowhere near releasing its conclusive findings.
The findings will likely take another two months to be released, India Today reported, citing sources in the bureau.
“Nothing will be kept in the dark,” the news outlet quoted the sources as saying, assuring that all the findings would be placed in the public domain.
A preliminary report released last year, a month after the crash, noted that the fuel control switches had moved from “run” to “cutoff” soon after take-off, starving the engines of fuel. The report, however, stopped short of assigning blame or explaining the probable cause behind the flipping of the switches.
The switches were returned to “run” after 10 seconds but it was too late. A pilot then transmitted a “mayday” call.
The aircraft immediately began to lose thrust and sank. One pilot could be heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he had cut off fuel.
"The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. An auxiliary power unit intended to provide power to the aircraft in the event of engine failure deployed automatically, but did not supply enough lift to prevent a catastrophic crash into a hostel at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College.
Air India, meanwhile, said 94 per cent of the affected families had received interim compensation of Rs 2.5m (£19,500), while others were largely awaiting completion of documentation or were impacted by family-related legal issues, the Economic Times reported.
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