Air India crash report delayed as safety panel misses deadline, release expected before year-end

The panel was tasked with submitting its findings within three months. That deadline expired Friday without any report.

A final report into the June 12 Air India plane crash is expected to be released before the end of the year, officials familiar with the matter told The Hindustan Times.

The three-month deadline set for a high-level government panel to review aviation safety protocols ended on Friday without results, even as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) continues its probe.

On June 12, Air India’s Boeing 787-8, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a building shortly after take-off. The accident killed 260 people, including 19 on the ground, and left just one survivor among the 242 onboard.

The AAIB has already issued a preliminary report, which pointed to multiple possible factors in the seconds before impact but stopped short of drawing conclusions. Officials said the final report will provide clarity on the sequence of failures that led to India’s deadliest crash in three decades.

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu recently indicated the final report may take four to five months to complete. AAIB has not confirmed a timeline.

Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered immediate inspections across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet.

“The airline has completed the mandatory checks on all its 787s,” an airline official confirmed to The Hindustan Times. No major flaws were detected in critical systems including engines, avionics, flight controls, landing gear, emergency equipment, and data logs.

The regulator also instructed airlines to conduct a deeper review of maintenance records and strengthen pilot training protocols.

Alongside the technical probe, the Centre had constituted a high-level committee led by the Union home secretary and senior civil aviation officials to review aviation safety procedures.

The panel was tasked with submitting its findings within three months. That deadline expired Friday without any report.

“The committee requires in-depth study of the subject and hence will require some time,” another official told The Hindustan Times.

“The committee has met a few times, but a couple more meetings are required before finalising the timeline for its report.”