The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced the formation of a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to investigate the causes behind the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171. The flight, en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, went down on June 12, claiming at least 297 lives and injuring around 60 people.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry said the newly formed committee will assess the events leading up to the crash, review current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and evaluate the safety protocols in place. The panel’s primary objective is to recommend a comprehensive framework to prevent and effectively manage similar incidents in the future.

The ministry clarified that the committee will function independently and will not interfere with or replace statutory and technical investigations being carried out by relevant aviation and forensic authorities.

"The committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future," the ministry stated.