A year after Air India flight 171 crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, the official investigation has missed its international deadline for a final report, deepening a bitter dispute over what caused the disaster. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to issue only a status update this week, citing incomplete analysis of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's engines in the United States. The delay has fuelled criticism from families and aviation experts, who question the probe's integrity amid reports of conflicting evidence and potential conflicts of interest.

The sequence of events on 12 June 2025 has been established: the aircraft, bound for London, departed from Bay 34 and, seconds after take-off, its fuel switches moved to the 'cut-off' position, starving both engines. A cockpit voice recording, according to early assessments by US officials, captured dialogue suggesting the captain deliberately cut the fuel flow. Indian investigators initially cautioned it was too early to draw conclusions, but the captain's father has publicly disputed any suggestion of deliberate action, demanding a thorough and impartial inquiry. The preliminary report, released last July, noted the fuel switch movement but left the cause open, pending engine forensics now being conducted in the US.

From London, the sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national who lost his brother in the crash, has called for 'honesty, transparency and answers'. Speaking on the anniversary, he described living with significant psychological scars and financial hardship, having received only an interim payment of £21,500 from Air India. His seat, 11A next to an emergency exit, allowed him to escape the burning wreckage, but he continues to struggle with physical pain and the burden of supporting his young family. The disaster claimed 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals, making it one of the deadliest for Britons in recent decades.

Viewed from Washington, the delay in the final report is seen as a setback for international aviation safety, as the case has become a flashpoint for broader concerns about the reliability of crash investigations in India. Analysts in London note that the controversy echoes previous contentious probes, raising questions about whether a more independent, multilateral approach is needed. The AAIB has indicated that a final report is now expected within three months, but the lack of clarity on the engine analysis and the unresolved dispute over pilot intent mean that the full truth may remain elusive for some time, leaving the families of the victims and the aviation community in a state of anxious uncertainty.