Supreme Court opts to wait as accident board promises AI-171 crash report by end-October
The Supreme Court of India has deferred a decision on the Air India Flight 171 crash investigation, awaiting the final report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. Petitioners have raised concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest within the investigation team.
Why it matters
The case raises significant questions about the independence of aviation accident investigations and government accountability.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) chose to wait for the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to publish the final report on the Air India Flight 171 crash anytime between the “middle of September”, with a buffer till the “end of October”.
The crash at the Ahmedabad airport killed 12 crew members and 229 passengers on June 12, 2025.
The court clarified that the plea for a Court of Inquiry or a “fair, transparent, and technically sound investigation” sought variously by petitioners, who include 91-year-old Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the pilots on the ill-fated aircraft, was still very much alive, but on hold for the time being.
The trajectory of the current litigation would depend on whether the AAIB report on the crash would be “well-merited and accepted”, a three-judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said.
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