Aviation Minister Criticizes Western Media for Speculative Reporting on Air India Crash Probe

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday strongly criticized sections of the Western media for their speculative and biased coverage of the recent Air India Boeing crash, urging all parties to wait for the final investigation report before making assumptions.

Addressing the issue, the minister emphasized the importance of avoiding premature conclusions and praised the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for successfully decoding the black box data within India—a significant achievement for the country’s aviation safety efforts.

“AAIB has appealed to all, especially Western media outlets, which may have vested interests behind the kinds of reports they are publishing,” said Naidu.
“I fully trust the AAIB. They have done an excellent job decoding the black box and retrieving all the data right here in India,” he added.

Highlighting the progress, Naidu noted that in previous incidents, black box data was often sent abroad due to damage, but this is the first time Indian investigators have decoded everything domestically. The preliminary report has already been prepared.

The minister urged patience and caution, stating that no official comment should be made until the final report is released. He assured the public that the government is carefully reviewing the findings and will implement any necessary safety measures once the investigation is complete.

“Until the final report is out, it’s not appropriate for anyone to speculate or assign blame. We are taking this very seriously,” Naidu reiterated.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), echoed similar concerns. She called recent media reports on the crash—particularly by The Wall Street Journal and Reuters—“premature and speculative,” noting that they appeared to unfairly place blame on the pilots despite the investigation being far from complete.

Homendy emphasized that investigations of this scale take time and assured that the NTSB is fully supporting AAIB's efforts.

The AAIB also issued a public appeal on July 17, warning against “selective and unverified reporting” by some international media outlets. The agency stressed the need to respect the sensitivity surrounding the tragedy, which claimed over 260 lives, including passengers, crew, and people on the ground.

“It is essential to honor the grief of the families affected,” the AAIB stated. “Certain media sections are attempting to draw conclusions using incomplete information, which is highly irresponsible while the investigation is still underway.”

The agency emphasized that no final conclusions have been reached yet and that a comprehensive final report will be issued only after all evidence is analyzed, including the identification of root causes and safety recommendations.

With inputs from IANS