AAIB 'will take a call' on where to send black boxes of crashed Air India plane for decoding

New Delhi: Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), probing the Ahmedabad air crash, will take a call on whether to send Air India’s ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s black boxes abroad for decoding after a thorough assessment, even as it completed “key recovery work” like site documentation and evidence collection while “further analysis” is underway.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s remarks on Thursday in a statement came as Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held separate review meetings with Airport Directors and airline management, including that of Air India, in the past two days.

Providing an update on AAIB investigation, Naidu said on ‘X’ that the probe into the June 12 crash of London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner within a minute of taking off from Ahmedabad airport is “progressing smoothly” and both black boxes were recovered and in AAIB’s safe custody.

Ram Mohan Naidu held separate review meetings with Airport Directors and airline management

In the statement, the Ministry said a multi-disciplinary team from the AAIB has started its investigation on June 12 itself with assistance from US’ National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing teams as per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) protocols.

A combined unit of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was recovered from the crash site on June 13 and another set was found on June 16. Boeing 787-8 has two Blackbox sets.

“The AAIB investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway,” the statement said.

“The Ministry remains committed to full transparency relating to the ongoing investigation and will follow all mandated protocols and norms, in the larger interest of highest standards of passenger safety and convenience," it said.

Referring to reports that Black Box from the ill-fated AI-171 is being sent abroad for "retrieval and analysis", the statement said the decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety and security considerations while urging stakeholders to refrain from speculation on "such sensitive" matters.

Naidu also had a meeting with Air India Chairman N Chandrasekharan and Managing Director and CEO Campbell Wilson on "three critical aspects" -- maintaining operational continuity, supporting transparent and accountable communication with the public and passengers’ safety and convenience.

The Minister and Air India management discussed the issue of the airline's reduced aircraft availability due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, enhanced safety checks, and a ban on night flying in Europe. Air India has already announced 15% reduction in international flight operations till mid-July.

"Air India was urged to strengthen their ground-level coordination at airports, improve communication with passengers regarding cancellations/delays, and ensure that customer service teams are sensitized and equipped to handle increased passenger concerns with empathy and clarity," it said adding that meetings were also held with the senior managements of Spice Jet, IndiGo and Akasa on Wednesday and Thursday.

It was also decided that the practice of periodical review with the airlines on operational matters will be institutionalised for better monitoring and coordination.

During his meeting with Airport Directors, Naidu reviewed ground-level preparedness and passenger support mechanisms in the light of rescheduling of flights happening due to multiple reasons like post-accident checks, weather changes and closing of certain airspaces due to geopolitical tensions

Airport Directors have been asked to have close liaison with airlines to address passengers' issues swiftly and on the spot, making available food, drinking water and adequate seating facilities at terminals during flight delays or congestion, deployment of sufficient personnel at key touchpoints to manage grievances proactively and reinforce wildlife hazard management, including the deterrence of birds and stray animals.

They were also asked to extend all possible assistance to airlines facing operational disruptions, including gate reassignments and logistical support, the statement added.