AI-171 crash probe in final stage; report likely within a month

Jürgen Westermeier, chairman of FICCI Civil Aviation Committee and President & MD, Airbus India and South Asia, said India’s aviation and aerospace sector is poised for significant long-term expansion, with air passenger traffic growth expected at a CAGR of nearly 9% over the next decade and an aircraft backlog of over 1,600.

Gujarat’s expanding airport infrastructure includes the Dholera Greenfield Airport project.

The government highlighted that more than 370 assets worth USD 5.8 billion had already been leased through GIFT City.

In this year’s Union Budget, the government extended the tax holiday for aircraft leasing companies in GIFT IFSC to 20 years.

The UDAN regional connectivity scheme would be extended for another 10 years with an investment around ₹29,000 crore, including the development of nearly 200 heliports across the country.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is conducting independent investigations and, whatever resources they have asked for, the government has been providing.

The minister said the Centre is addressing concerns raised by families of the victims and a dedicated ministry cell is coordinating compensation related to the June 2025 crash.

Union civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the investigation is in its final stage and the report is expected within a month, speaking on the sidelines of an event at GIFT City.

GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) is home to 38 registered aircraft lessors as of December 2025.

Air India Flight AI 171, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and bound for London Gatwick, crashed into a medical college hostel complex shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft caught fire on impact. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died, along with 19 people on the ground, totaling 260 fatalities.