The investigation into the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people last year has entered its final phase, with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu saying the final report is expected to be released “mostly” within the next month. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is conducting the probe independently, is currently completing the last stage of the investigation into the AI171 crash that took place shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The London Gatwick-bound flight crashed minutes after departure, killing 241 people onboard, along with others on the ground, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.
Speaking to reporters on Friday on the sidelines of the India Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit 2.0 at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Naidu said the government had extended all required support to investigators. “As per the information we have received, the investigation is in its final stages. However, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is conducting the probe independently, and we have provided them with all the resources they require. We expect the process may take around another month,” he said.
The AAIB had earlier released a preliminary report on July 12 last year, which revealed a critical development during the final moments of the aircraft’s take-off. According to the report, the fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a gap of one second shortly after take-off, leading to confusion inside the cockpit. The cockpit voice recording cited in the report captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut off, while the second pilot denied having done so. The findings raised major questions regarding technical systems, cockpit action,s and possible human or mechanical failures during the brief period before the crash.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had earlier clarified that the preliminary findings were based only on the evidence available at that stage of the investigation and did not include any interim safety recommendations. In February this year, the ministry informed Parliament that all probable causes linked to the crash were still being examined and that the probe was progressing in a “time-bound manner.” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had also told the Rajya Sabha that the investigation remained ongoing under the AAIB’s supervision.
Investigators have reportedly been examining aircraft components in detail while assessing multiple possible factors, including technical failures, operational procedures, organisational issues, es and human factors associated with the accident. Earlier this year, sources familiar with the probe had stated that “nothing has been ruled out” during the investigation. With the final report now expected within weeks, authorities are likely to present a clearer explanation of the sequence of events that led to the fatal crash and the sudden loss of engine power moments after take-off.
