Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Monday announced a significant milestone in India’s aviation investigation capabilities, revealing that for the first time, the decoding of a flight’s Black Box was carried out within the country during the probe into the tragic Air India AI-171 crash.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Naidu said, “The first stage of the investigation is complete and a preliminary report has been released. In the past, if a Black Box was even slightly damaged, we had to send it abroad for decoding. This is the first time it has been decoded in India.”
He praised the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), calling it an unbiased and rules-based agency. “There is a process based on facts. We want the truth to emerge only through that process,” he said, dismissing speculation and media narratives, especially from Western outlets, suggesting pilot error before the final report.
Responding to a supplementary question on the manpower of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Naidu acknowledged the staffing challenges amid rising aviation traffic. “The number of aircraft and passengers has nearly doubled in the past 10 years. Over the last two to three years, the government has sanctioned more posts, and last year we made a record recruitment of 103 positions.”
Earlier, Naidu had urged media houses not to draw conclusions before the official investigation concludes. “The preliminary data is available, but commenting before the final report is not appropriate. We are treading carefully,” he told ANI, adding that media, especially foreign outlets, should avoid speculative reporting.
The London-bound Air India AI-171 flight crashed on June 12, claiming the lives of 260 people. The investigation is being led by the AAIB, which has urged all stakeholders to wait for the conclusive report before assigning blame.
