NEW DELHI: The families of those killed in the Air India AI-171 crash have stepped up demands for the release of the aircraft’s black box data and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, questioning the aircraft accident investigation bureau’s (AAIB) decision to withhold the material while promising only a final investigation report.According to news agency PTI, the demands were raised at a meeting of victims’ families in Ahmedabad on Sunday, days after the AAIB informed the Supreme Court that it would not disclose black box data or cockpit voice recorder recordings during the ongoing investigation.The London Gatwick-bound Air India flight AI-171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025, when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck the BJ Medical College hostel complex. The crash killed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground, making it India’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades.Romin Vahora, who lost his brother, niece and aunt in the tragedy, questioned the AAIB’s decision to withhold the cockpit recordings. “If they never intended to release the data, why did they release a cockpit voice recording transcript (as part of preliminary report) just a few days after the crash?”, he asked.Vahora alleged that the families wanted to know whether the selective disclosure was intended to “shift the blame onto the pilots or mislead the victims’ families”, PTI reported.Seeking greater transparency, he said the families wanted the raw black box data to be made public, shared directly with them or provided to their legal representatives.Vahora said the families had not initiated legal proceedings and were awaiting the final investigation report, while their lawyers continued exploring legal options to secure access to the black box data. He added that if the report was not released within the timeline indicated by the AAIB, the families would consider holding protests after obtaining the necessary permissions.Last week, the AAIB told the Supreme Court that the draft final report into the June 12 crash was expected to be ready in October. In its affidavit, the agency said there was an “absolute statutory prohibition” on releasing cockpit voice recordings and airborne image recordings, arguing that witness statements, cockpit voice recorder transcripts, air traffic control communications and medical records must remain confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation and future aviation safety inquiries.The victims’ families also renewed their demand for a permanent memorial at the crash site. Vahora urged the government, Air India and the Tata group to earmark land and allocate funds for a monument honouring those who lost their lives.
