India Declines UN Assistance in Air India Crash Probe That Killed 274
India has declined an offer of assistance from the United Nations’ aviation watchdog in investigating the Air India crash that killed 274 people in Ahmedabad on June 12 — the deadliest aviation disaster globally in a decade.
According to two senior sources cited by Reuters, India rejected a proposal from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to include one of its investigators in the ongoing probe. The investigator was reportedly already in India and had requested observer status, but Indian authorities refused to allow participation.
The offer marked an unusual step for the ICAO, which has typically joined crash probes only when invited by the host nation. The agency previously supported investigations into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine and the 2020 crash of a Ukrainian jetliner in Iran. In both instances, ICAO’s involvement came after official requests for assistance.
India’s refusal was first reported by Times Now and has raised fresh questions about the transparency of the investigation led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The AAIB, which functions under India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, has not commented on the UN offer or the reason for rejecting it.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Thursday that flight recorder data was downloaded nearly two weeks after the crash, which involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. However, safety experts had earlier criticised the lack of timely updates, particularly concerning the status of the black box units recovered on June 13 and 16, respectively.
The delay in data extraction has drawn scrutiny under global aviation norms. As per Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention — the internationally agreed-upon framework for air accident investigations — flight data recorders should be read promptly to identify safety risks and prevent future tragedies. Some critics also questioned whether the black boxes would be decoded in India or the United States, where the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also assisting in the investigation.
To date, Indian authorities have held just one press conference on the incident, and no questions from the media were allowed. A senior aviation ministry official, speaking anonymously, said all ICAO protocols were being followed and that the media had been kept informed of “important developments.”
Most air crashes result from a combination of factors. A preliminary investigation report is expected within 30 days of the incident, though it remains unclear whether India will release it publicly or withhold key findings until the final report is complete.
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