Supreme Court Delays Probe, Awaits AAIB Report by October

The Supreme Court has deferred further proceedings on petitions seeking an independent probe into the Air India Flight AI171 crash, opting to await the final report from the official investigation body, which is now expected by October 2026. The decision came during a hearing on July 28, where the court was informed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) draft final report is nearing completion.

The crash, which occurred on June 12, 2025, shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulted in one of India's deadliest aviation disasters, claiming the lives of 260 people. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel complex, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant heard submissions from petitioners, including 91-year-old Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of the late pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots. They have sought a court-monitored or independent investigation, expressing concerns over the transparency and technical soundness of the AAIB probe. Their plea highlighted alleged discrepancies in the preliminary...