Saturday, July 19, 2025

For countless people in India and their relatives of the broadsmiled 28-year-old father, for fans of the slim-hipped 62-year-old rock star, especially for those holding images of lost university-bound students the crash in Ahmedabad in June was a painfully personal one. In the weeks since, the burden of grief has been compounded by shock at the sensational international headlines. Now, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has also come forward, serving legal notices. According to TheWall Street Journal and Reuters seeking retractions and apologies published from them, regarding what it alleges to have been “speculative”, unverified remarks concerning the pilots and the AI‑171 crash.

The appeal for information came days after the FIP, which has over 5,000 certified Indian pilots as members, doubted some reports that claimed the captain of AI‑171 reduced fuel flow intentionally while on a climb. Captain C.S.Randhawa, president of FIP in legal notices, said ‘The Prelimnary Reports of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had not blamed the pilot for anything. He demanded:

If phrases such as included in the design or it was designed to Not have a smoking section are already one the wall of the meeting room, scratch them off!

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Ministry of Civil Aviation have supported AAIB’s stance that it is premature to place blame and the probe is still going on.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu also asked the public and the media to stop jumping to conclusions a reminder that we should wait for the final AAIB report.

With headlines in the major dailies suggesting that pilots may have deliberately caused the crash, faith in Indian aviation gets battered. It can affect future travel choices, feelings of safety and even insurance rates.

The initial crisis unfolded at an extremely emotional moment for families that rely on safety assurances when many of them flew. Guilt by association affects pilots not only legally — it also has a huge impact on their mental health and morale.

Though continued press has come, regulators have kept their eye on the ball regarding concrete action to ensure safety:

For the mourners on the ground and for the people who to the very end had counted on Flight AI‑171, the tragedy has been complex beyond reason. Now, that speculation is doing greater harm of a different kind — tarnishing professional reputations and muddying the public’s understanding. In filing lawsuits the Indian Pilots Federation and regulators are not defending their co-pilots alone: they are defending India’s quest for a safer aviation culture.

For travelers, it’s another reminder to see beyond headlines — to believe that aviation investigations exist to serve justice and safety, not to stoke sensation. Whether you’re boarding a flight to Ahmedabad, or Mumbai, or beyond, know that a transparent process is at work — and responsible reporting is as critical as mechanical checks.

Source:-