Category: Travel

Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed last week, marking a crucial step in understanding what led to the tragedy. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, killing at least 270 people, most of them passengers. The CVR, which records cockpit audio, pilot conversations, alarms, and ambient sounds, will work in tandem with the already recovered flight data recorder (FDR). Together, these two devices — commonly referred to as the black box — are instrumental in helping investigators reconstruct the final moments of the flight and determine the cause of the crash. Contrary to their name, the black boxes are bright orange and built to withstand extreme impacts and temperatures, allowing for easier recovery and analysis. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe, with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and UK aviation authorities, as the aircraft was American-made. Officials from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have also visited the crash site to support the ongoing inquiry. On Sunday, a statement confirmed that the NTSB is conducting a parallel investigation under international aviation protocols. Meanwhile, the Indian government has constituted a high-level committee to examine the root causes of the crash and recommend new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid such disasters in the future. The committee’s preliminary report is expected within three months, according to All India Radio. The crash occurred just seconds after take-off, when flight AI171 slammed into a doctors’ accommodation building at BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew members is reported to have survived. Authorities are still working to determine how many people on the ground were also killed. So far, 270 bodies have been recovered, with over 90 victims identified through DNA matching. Dr. Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital confirmed that 47 bodies have been returned to families. Among the deceased is former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, whose funeral with full state honours was scheduled for Monday in Rajkot. The identification process remains slow and emotionally taxing. Due to the extent of burns and trauma suffered by victims, DNA samples are being matched in small batches, prolonging the waiting period for families. Relatives like Mistry Jignesh, still awaiting news of his niece, expressed deep anguish as officials advised that it may take longer than the typical 72-hour window to identify and release the remains. As the investigation gathers momentum, grieving families continue to struggle with the trauma and uncertainty left in the wake of one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent history.

Airbus SE has expressed its condolences and called for a renewed industry-wide focus on aviation safety following the fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed over 240 people. The company dismissed the idea that such tragedies could offer a competitive advantage in the long-standing rivalry between Airbus and Boeing. Speaking at a press briefing in Paris ahead of the upcoming Paris Air Show, Christian Scherer, Head of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, said, “Safety is in everything that we do, so the tragedy in India, we don’t see that in any way, shape or form as a competitive input. It is, if anything, a reminder to us all that aviation has become so safe that, statistically speaking, every accident is totally unacceptable.” The crash, which is now the deadliest civil aviation disaster in over a decade, involved a Boeing 787 — a model that had never been involved in a fatal accident until now. Investigations into the cause are ongoing. The aircraft exploded after failing to gain altitude on takeoff, striking nearby buildings and causing significant loss of life on the ground as well. Airbus competes with Boeing in the wide-body aircraft segment with its A350 and A330neo models, counterparts to Boeing’s Dreamliner. Despite the competition, Airbus executives made it clear that tragedies like this transcend market dynamics. “Every incident in this industry is an immediate reminder of what can go wrong,” Scherer emphasized. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, also present at the media event, said the company remains committed to its production goals despite global instability and ongoing supply chain challenges. He acknowledged that the target to deliver 820 aircraft this year has become “a little bit more difficult” but affirmed Airbus is still on track. Chief Financial Officer Thomas Toepfer added that due to market volatility, the company is not currently considering share buybacks as a financial strategy. Boeing, meanwhile, is grappling with the aftermath of the disaster. Its CEO, Kelly Ortberg, has cancelled his appearance at the Paris Air Show to coordinate the company’s response to the incident. The aviation industry, which had seen a remarkable safety streak in recent years—including no fatal large jetliner crashes in 2023—has now been jolted back to reality. As investigations continue, the focus remains firmly on accountability and improving safety standards for all.