Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has strongly criticized Western media outlets for their reporting on the Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, which resulted in the loss of over 250 lives. Naidu described the reporting as premature and driven by "vested interests," emphasizing the importance of awaiting the official investigation report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The Minister's remarks came during an event in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he inaugurated new IndiGo flight services from Hindon Airport. He stressed that drawing conclusions before the AAIB's final report is released is "not a good exercise". Naidu voiced his confidence in the AAIB, highlighting their success in decoding the black box data within India itself, a feat not always possible in previous incidents involving damaged black boxes. He urged all parties, especially Western media houses, to refrain from speculation.
The AAIB has also publicly appealed to the media, expressing concerns about "selective and unverified reporting" by certain international outlets in the aftermath of the crash. The Bureau emphasized the need to respect the sensitivity of the situation for the families of the deceased passengers and crew, stating that premature narratives risk undermining the integrity of the investigative process. The AAIB clarified that it is too early to reach any definite conclusions and that the final report will be published only after a complete investigation to identify the root causes and provide recommendations.
The Air India crash involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. The preliminary report released by the AAIB indicated that the engine fuel control switches transitioned from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position within one second of each other shortly after lift-off. The report did not specify whether the switches were physically moved by the pilots.
Some reports in the Western media have focused on the possibility of pilot error, with The Wall Street Journal citing a U.S. official who claimed the Air India captain allegedly shut off the fuel control switches mid-air. This report and others have drawn criticism for potentially blaming the pilots before any official conclusions have been reached.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also weighed in, calling the media reports "premature and speculative" and expressing support for the AAIB investigation. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that investigations of this magnitude take time.
Several pilot groups have rejected claims of human error, terming them as having "no basis". The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) reportedly sent legal notices to The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, contesting the findings as unsubstantiated by official investigations.
Amidst the controversy, aviation experts have also questioned the feasibility of the pilot error theory. One expert pointed out the short time frame between the fuel switches moving and the pilots' attempts to restart the engines, suggesting that an electrical signal may have been the initial cause of the fuel cutoff.
The AAIB investigation is ongoing, with participation from Boeing and experts from the US and the UK. The investigation aims to determine the exact cause of the crash and prevent similar incidents in the future.
