Indian aviation rejects Western reports against pilots involved in Air India crash

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Sunday strongly condemned the narrative propagated by certain Western media outlets that sought to prematurely attribute blame to the senior pilot involved in the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. Expressing unwavering confidence in India's own investigative capabilities, the Minister emphasized his full trust in the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the central agency tasked with thoroughly probing air accidents within the country, highlighting their diligent work.

"I believe in the AAIB. I believe in the work being done by the AAIB. They have done a wonderful job decoding the data here in India. It was a huge success," the Union Minister stated, commending the agency for its preliminary findings. This endorsement from the minister underscores the government's faith in the AAIB's expertise and the thoroughness of their ongoing investigation into the Air India incident.

Directly addressing specific media outlets, Naidu specifically targeted The Wall Street Journal and Reuters for their reports that suggested pilot error as a cause. He criticized these publications, stating, "The AAIB has made an appeal to all, especially Western media houses, which may have a vested interest in the kind of articles they are trying to publish," implying a potential bias or agenda behind their reporting.

Naidu further issued a stern warning against the dissemination of unfounded theories and speculation before the official publication of the final investigation report. He stressed the importance of due process and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. "Making any comments before the final report has come is not good exercise on behalf of any one. We are cautious... Regarding the incident and the investigation we have to wait for the final report to come out," he asserted, advocating for patience and adherence to official findings.

The Minister reiterated that reaching any definitive conclusion prior to the release of the final report is premature and urged caution from all parties involved, including the media. "Stick to the report. Whatever the report says is final. Preliminary report is out. They need time. Lot of data has to be corroborated. Need to give them time," the minister remarked, reinforcing the need for the AAIB to complete its comprehensive analysis without external pressure or premature judgments.