New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Saturday strongly defended the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and hit out at Western media outlets for what he termed as “vested interest” and “selective reporting” in the ongoing probe into Air India crash in Ahmedabad. He said the government will wait for the final report before making any conclusions.
“I believe in AAIB,” the minister said, asserting that the government trusts the Indian agency to conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation into the incident, which saw both engines of the aircraft lose power moments after takeoff.
Kinjarapu urged the media, especially international outlets, to refrain from jumping to conclusions based on incomplete data. He urged western media to avoid speculation and lauded the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for successfully decoding the black box data in India.
“AAIB has made an appeal to all, especially Western media houses, which may have a vested interest in the kind of articles they are trying to publish. I believe in AAIB… They have done a wonderful job in decoding the black box in India itself… Making any comments until the final report comes out is not a good exercise… There is no point in jumping to conclusions at this point,” he told reporters.
#WATCH | Ghaziabad, UP | Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu says, “AAIB has made an appeal to all, especially Western media houses, which may have a vested interest in the kind of articles they are trying to publish. I believe in AAIB… They have done a wonderful… pic.twitter.com/24Ic9XTkiN
— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2025
“There’s no point in speculating before the final report is out,” Kinjarapu said, adding that India’s aviation safety mechanism operates with full transparency and adheres to international norms under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In a significant milestone for Indian aviation, the minister noted that for the first time, the AAIB successfully decoded the aircraft’s black box in its newly commissioned laboratory within the country. Until recently, such analyses were outsourced to international labs.
The minister’s remarks come amid a flurry of reports from international media, including The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, which claimed—quoting unnamed U.S. officials—that cockpit voice recordings suggest the pilot may have accidentally or deliberately cut off fuel supply to both engines.
The AAIB had earlier termed such reports “irresponsible” and warned against “selective and unverified reporting” that could compromise the integrity of the investigation and mislead the public. The agency has not yet concluded whether the switch from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ in the fuel control system was a mechanical error or a case of pilot mismanagement.
Reinforcing AAIB’s credibility, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is assisting in the probe due to the aircraft’s U.S. origin, also released a statement cautioning against premature media conclusions. The NTSB reiterated that only the final report could provide definitive answers.
The AAIB’s preliminary report, released on July 12, confirmed that both engines shut down within one second of each other due to fuel cutoff but stopped short of assigning responsibility. The final report is expected within the next few months.
Kinjarapu assured that the government will act promptly on the AAIB’s final recommendations. “Any safety actions needed will be implemented without delay,” he said.
