The Air India Boeing 787 crash investigation is progressing well with necessary support from local authorities and agencies, said the Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday.

“The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed and further analysis is now underway,” it added.

The Ministry, however, said no decision has been taken yet on decoding the aircraft black boxes in India or at National Transportation Safety Board Laboratory in the US. The Boeing 787 aircraft has two black boxes consisting of a digital flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder. Both have been recovered from the accident, and data contained in them will be critical in ascertaining the factors behind the accident.

“The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,” said the Ministry in response to a media report, which said that black boxes would be sent to the US for further analysis

While it is not unusual for black box to be sent overseas, especially if they are damaged, the purported move triggered criticism on social media. Countries such as Indonesia and Ethiopia decoded black boxes after Boeing crashes quickly and transparently, one user posted on X.

To be sure in April India got its own dedicated digital flight data recorder lab in Delhi. Built at the cost of ₹9 crore, the state-of-art facility will enable AAIB to repair damaged black boxes, retrieve data and conduct thorough analyses of accidents and incidents, the ministry said at the time of its opening.

Protocols

A person familiar with aircraft accident investigation said there are protocols for handling the black box and it forms important evidence. “An official from AAIB carries the black box along with him and is present when it is opened for investigation. The Indian embassy too designates a representative to oversee the process,” he said.

In fact the court of inquiry report into the Air India Express Mangaluru air crash of 2010 mentions that while Air India has facilities for decoding the flight recorders, it was not possible to do so, since the recorders were damaged during the accident. “The Court therefore took the recorders to the NTSB, USA where they were successfully repaired and decoded so that these could once again be read at the laboratory of DGCA, “ the report said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu held a meeting with top Air India executives to assess the airline’s response to last week’s air crash. The discussions focused on three critical aspects of maintaining operational continuity, supporting transparent and accountable communication with the public and passengers’ safety and convenience.

Meetings were also held with executives of SpiceJet, IndiGo and Akasa Air to review fleet performance, passenger experience, safety experience among others. Meeting was also held with airport directors to review preparedness and passenger support mechanisms in light of flight delays and diversions.

To maintain a safe and secure airport environment, airport directors were directed to reinforce wildlife hazard management, including the deterrence of birds and stray animals, the ministry said.

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Published on June 19, 2025