Aviation Minister slams Western media for speculative reporting on Air India Boeing crash probe

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday said the government will wait for the final report on the investigation into the Air India Boeing crash before making any comments, even as he slammed the Western media for its slanted coverage of the tragic incident.

He urged the Western media to avoid speculation on the cause of the Air India crash and praised the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for successfully decoding the black box data in India.

“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,” the minister said.

“I believe in AAIB. They have done a wonderful job in decoding the whole black box and getting the data out in India itself,” the minister said.

“It was a huge success for us because in previous incidents, whenever the black box was seen to be damaged, it was always sent abroad to get the data out. But this is the first time that AAIB has successfully decoded everything. The preliminary report has also been prepared,” Naidu pointed out.

The minister stated that making any comments until the final report comes is not a good exercise for anyone. The government is being very cautious and studying the report thoroughly, and whatever necessary steps are required in terms of safety would be implemented, he added.

“Regarding the incident and investigation, we have to wait for the final report before we say anything,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairperson Jennifer Homendy also stated that recent media reports on the crash of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner that killed over 260 people were premature and speculative.

A report in the Wall Street Journal, which was followed up by another by Reuters news agency, was seen to be biased against the pilots in trying to pin the blame on them for the crash, even though no such conclusion has been reached in the investigation at this point.

Homendy said investigations of this magnitude take time, and that the NTSB will continue to support AAIB’s ongoing probe.

This came following AAIB’s public appeal issued on Thursday (July 17), noting a strong appeal to the public and media, raising concerns about “selective and unverified reporting” by certain international outlets in the aftermath of the crash.

“It is essential to respect the sensitivity of the loss faced by family members of deceased passengers, crew of the aircraft and other deceased persons on the ground. It has come to our attention that certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting. Such actions are irresponsible, especially while the investigation remains ongoing. We urge both the public and the media to refrain from spreading premature narratives that risk undermining the integrity of the investigative process,” AAIB said in a letter.

The Bureau clarified that at this stage, “it is too early to reach any definite conclusions,” and the final report will be published only after the investigation is complete, including the identification of “root causes and recommendations”.

IANS