Days after the devastating crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad that claimed 270 lives, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced that the aircraft's black box has been successfully recovered. The data is currently being decoded and is expected to offer key insights into the final moments before the crash. Addressing the media for the first time since the incident, the minister assured that a multi-agency investigation led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is underway to determine the exact cause of the disaster.

The minister stated that the AAIB team responded swiftly to the site and is leading the technical probe. He emphasized that decoding the black box would likely provide a clearer understanding of what led to the fatal crash. In response to the tragedy, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an urgent surveillance operation on India’s entire Boeing 787 fleet. Of the 34 such aircraft currently in service, eight have already undergone inspection, with the rest expected to follow shortly under the heightened safety review.

Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha added that the aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating as flight AI 171, had safely completed its Paris to Delhi leg and was en route to Ahmedabad when the crash occurred. The plane tragically went down moments after takeoff, crashing into a medical hostel and canteen complex in Meghaninagar. Authorities are also examining the aircraft’s maintenance history and flight records as part of the investigation. With national attention focused on aviation safety, officials stressed the need for transparency and swift action to prevent similar incidents in the future while offering condolences to the families of those lost.