A year after the Air India Flight AI 171 tragedy, the government's investigation into the accident is approaching completion, with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stating that the inquiry has entered its "last leg" and that a final report is expected soon.
Speaking to India Today on the first anniversary of the accident, Naidu said investigators are continuing to follow established national and international procedures and would not compromise the integrity of the process in an effort to accelerate the report's release.
"There is an investigation process which is very protocol-based. The international protocol is the basis of the investigation process," the minister told the publication.
While indicating that the inquiry is nearing its conclusion, Naidu stressed that authorities remain committed to conducting a comprehensive investigation.
According to India Today, the minister described the exercise as a "very serious investigation" and said transparency and accountability remain central to the process.
Key remarks from the minister included:
"We cannot skip the process and cannot be hasty in it. We are following the process completely," Naidu said.
He added that he believes investigators are in the "last leg" of the inquiry and that the final report should be available in the near future.
Marking one year since the accident, the minister paid tribute to those who lost their lives and expressed condolences to their families.
According to India Today, Naidu said the government remains committed to establishing the causes of the accident through a thorough and objective investigation.
He also reiterated the broader goal of strengthening aviation safety through lessons drawn from the inquiry.
"We remain committed to a thorough and objective determination of the causes of the accident and to further enhancing aviation safety," he said.
As the official investigation progresses, Air India has detailed a series of operational, safety and workforce initiatives implemented over the past year.
According to an internal document reviewed by India Today, the airline initiated a temporary "safety pause" following the AI 171 tragedy.
During that period, the carrier conducted extensive inspections of its:
The inspections were carried out under the supervision of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The airline said the review did not identify any issues with the aircraft involved in the checks.
Air India also examined the fuel control switch mechanisms on selected Boeing 737 and Boeing 787-8 aircraft, reporting no findings from those inspections.
According to the airline, the additional ground time created opportunities to accelerate technical upgrades intended to improve aircraft reliability and reduce operational disruptions.
The airline said it has increased its focus on improving the performance and reliability of its widebody operations, particularly within its Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 fleets.
According to figures cited in the internal document:
Air India said the measures are designed to improve operational consistency, fleet efficiency and long-term performance outcomes.
The carrier has also expanded employee support programmes as part of a wider effort to strengthen safety culture across the organisation.
According to Air India, its Human Factors Charter, which predates the AI 171 accident, provides training and support across multiple employee groups, including:
The programme is intended to reinforce human performance, regulatory compliance and safety awareness through a proactive and non-punitive framework.
Following the accident, Air India expanded its mental health support initiative through a programme called Wellness.AI.
The airline said the programme now includes:
The investigation into AI 171 remains one of the most closely watched aviation inquiries in India. While authorities have yet to announce a timeline for publication, the government's latest comments indicate that the final stages of the investigation are underway.
With investigators continuing to follow international aviation protocols and Air India implementing operational and workforce reforms, attention is now turning to the findings that will ultimately shape the industry's understanding of the accident and inform future safety measures.
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