Public faith in India’s institutions is at an all-time low at the moment; it is perhaps especially so with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), in the context of its investigation of the AI171 crash in July last year. Indeed, questions about the timeline for publishing the final report and the outcome of specific tests related to aircraft parts at the manufacturer’s facility overseas came up in Parliament on Monday.

Over the past year, three separate petitions have been filed before Indian courts by those convinced that the probe lacked professionalism, transparency, and investigative rigour and focused excessively on pinning blame rather than finding the root cause of the tragedy.

AAIB has met the avalanche of criticism with a stoic silence. Only in June 2026 did it issue a short statement reaffirming its commitment to conducting a thorough, independent, objective, and evidence-based investigation. It added that the final report will be released upon completion of all investigative activities and the requisite international review and consultation processes prescribed under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13. Further, it said that the sole purpose of an accident investigation is to enhance aviation safety through the identification of potential learnings and safety recommendations, not to apportion blame or liability.

Earlier this month, facing three different court petitions, AAIB filed a response........

© hindustantimes