Air India crash latest: Indian authorities accused of blocking ICAO investigator
Indian authorities have been accused of blocking an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) investigator from gaining access to the probe into the Air India 787 crash in Ahmedabad.
The incident, which resulted in the deaths of 260 people on board the aircraft and on the ground, is still under investigation and Indian officials have released scant details about the probe or its initial findings.
Reuters reported on Friday that India would not allow a UN investigator to join the probe, citing two senior sources.
It comes after the UN offered one of its ICAO investigators earlier in the week.
Neither India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) nor ICAO have offered comment on the Reuters report.
Flight data recorder downloaded
India’s civil aviation ministry said on Thursday that the data from the flight recorder had been downloaded.
But there was disquiet among aviation analysts at the apparent length of time it had taken to send the recorders to Delhi for analysis.
One report suggested there was a delay of more than a week before the “black box” recorders were shipped to the Indian capital for examination.
Data extraction was said to have begun on 24 June. The crash, involving a London Gatwick-bound Dreamliner, happened on 12 June.
Eight day delay
“Both the Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) were recovered – one from a rooftop of the building at the crash site on June 13, and the other from the debris on June 16, 2025,” reported the ANI news agency.
“Standard Operating Procedures were issued for their secure handling, storage, and transportation. The devices were kept under 24/7 police protection and CCTV surveillance in Ahmedabad.”
“Subsequently, the black boxes were brought from Ahmedabad to Delhi by IAF aircraft with full security on June 24.
“The front black box arrived AAIB Lab, Delhi with the DG, AAIB at 22 p.m. on June 24.
“The rear black box was brought by a second AAIB team and reached AAIB Lab, Delhi at 3:15 p.m. on June 24.
“On the evening of June 24, the team led by DG AAIB, with technical members from AAIB and NTSB, began the data extraction process.”
