India has witnessed a tragic toll of 274 deaths in eight air accidents in 2025, according to government data presented in the Lok Sabha. The deadliest incident, the Air India Flight 171 crash on June 12, claimed 260 lives when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plummeted into a residential area in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff, killing 241 passengers and crew and 19 on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing this and seven other accidents, including three trainee aircraft crashes and four helicopter incidents, which also injured 84 people, 81 from the Air India disaster.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol detailed the incidents in a written reply. On April 22, a helicopter crash in Gujarat killed one person, followed by a May 8 chopper crash in Uttarakhand that claimed six lives. On June 15, another Uttarakhand helicopter accident killed seven. The causes remain under investigation by the AAIB, established in 2012 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation to independently probe accidents and enhance safety without assigning blame.

The Air India crash, the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade, revealed perplexing details in a preliminary AAIB report. Fuel cut-off switches were flipped seconds after takeoff, causing dual engine failure, though cockpit audio showed pilots denying intentional action. No safety advisories have been issued for the Boeing 787-8 or its GE GEnx-1B engines, and a final report is expected by June 2026.

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Mohol also noted that 18 accidents involving Indian civil registered scheduled aircraft have occurred since 2015. Compensation for victims is governed by the Carriage by Air Act, 1972, amended in 2009 to align with the Montreal Convention, 1999, holding carriers liable for death, injury, or loss during international flights. Tata Group, Air India’s parent, has pledged ₹10 million per deceased passenger and medical expense coverage for the injured.

Aviation experts and pilot associations have criticized speculative media reports, urging restraint until the AAIB’s final findings. The ongoing probes, supported by international experts from the US NTSB and UK AAIB, aim to uncover root causes and recommend safety measures to prevent future tragedies.

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