New Delhi: The Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Friday that the government is making every effort to ensure that the final report of the probe into the June 2025 Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, is released as soon as possible.
The government has provided the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) with all necessary resources, he said.
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"The investigation is currently ongoing. We are making every effort to complete investigation and get the final report as soon as possible. But we must be mindful that rushing the process could lead us away from the truth," Naidu told reporters when asked about the report.
He was speaking after attending the fourth convocation of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), a transportation and logistics university in Vadodara, Gukarat, as Chief Guest.
"Our primary focus in all our efforts is to ascertain the actual facts. I would also like to convey to the families (of the victims) that justice will only be served when the truth is revealed. To that end, we are relying entirely on the AAIB and providing it with all necessary resources and support. Our hope is that the report is finalised at the earliest," the Union minister said.
On July 14, the AAIB told the Supreme Court that the draft final report was expected to be ready in October.
AAIB noted in its affidavit that inquiries into accidents involving international flights are governed by the Chicago Convention and Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's rules.
The June 12, 2025 plane crash claimed 260 lives, 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
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In his convocation address, Naidu talked about three Ms --Movement, Momentum and Mission--and said that from 74 airports in 2014, today India has 165 airports, with no other country in the world creating an infrastructure of airports at this speed.
"It has been a complete ecosystem drive that we have seen in the last 12 years," he said, adding this is going to create multiple opportunities for the students.
"In the next one minute, three passenger aircrafts would have flown, and in the next two hours, our airports would have handled more than 50,000 passengers in the country. Very big figure we are talking here today. Today India's civil aviation sector is moving with unprecedented momentum," he said.
Such a momentum also requires skilled professionals like the youth graduating from GSV, he added.
The Union minister said while the government is building momentum, there is also a need to compete globally.
Within four months of signing of an MoU between GSV and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a harmonised curriculum for aircraft maintenance engineering has been introduced, he said.
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