It was a normal morning in Ahmedabad. People were busy with their daily routine. No one had thought that this day would leave a dark stain on India's civil aviation system. On June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI-171, which was flying from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport, crashed just minutes after takeoff. This accident not only took 242 lives but also shook the soul of an entire nation.
There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members in this plane. Everyone had their own stories. Some were going abroad for the first time, some had to attend their daughter’s wedding, some were leaving for London for a job, and some were just going to meet their son. Someone might have looked back while closing the door, someone might have said "call me" for the last time. But this time no one got a chance.
The accident site is an area of Meghani Nagar where a medical hostel is also located. A large part of the plane fell on the same hostel, killing six students living there. These were the children who could have saved someone’s life in the future. Unfortunately, their own lives could not be saved. The pictures of the accident site were horrific, but even more horrifying were the scattered slippers, burning bags, half-burnt files and faces lost in smoke. Perhaps Mamta’s ‘missed call’ is still visible on some mobile screen, “send a message as soon as we land” is still written on someone’s WhatsApp.
Dying in an accident is one thing, but leaving this world without saying goodbye is an unimaginable sorrow.
This Air India Dreamliner plane was said to be equipped with the 'latest safety technology'. The Dreamliner 787 is considered reliable in the aviation world. Then the question arises—how did this accident happen? Was there any technical fault in the plane beforehand? Was there negligence in maintenance? Or was it an unfortunate coincidence?
Captain Sumit Sabarwal, who was flying this plane, was a senior pilot with 8200 hours of flying experience. He was accompanied by co-pilot Clive Kunder, who also had ample flying experience. Both of them tried to control the plane till the last moment. The recording found from the black box has the captain’s last voice recorded in which he gave a 'Mayday' call and informed about the plane’s altitude falling rapidly. This makes it clear that the plane suddenly lost control and there was very little time.
The administration wasted no time in starting the rescue operation. The fire brigade, NDRF, police and local citizens reached the spot and started removing the bodies from the debris. But the real tragedy began when the cries of the relatives were heard outside the hospitals. Those who had happily dropped off their loved ones at the airport a few hours ago were now identifying bags of ashes in the hospitals.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have expressed deep condolences over the accident. Air India has announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the victim families and the central government has ordered a high-level inquiry. But history shows that in most cases such inquiry reports remain pending for months, and are eventually forgotten. It is important that this time not only an impartial investigation should be conducted into the causes of the accident, but it should also be found out whether this accident could have been prevented.
This is not just a technical failure, it is also a failure of our system. What was the role of DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)? Was the plane properly tested before takeoff? Did the ground staff overlook any problem? All these questions are now of the public, and the public wants answers too.
After accidents, we often express our condolences, light candles, post on social media and then forget. But this time something has to change. This is not just an accident, but a warning. It tells us that even if modern technology and shiny airplanes fly with carelessness in the system, then they do not just become a flight, but an end.
There are many families whose sole earning member died in this accident. There are some in which three members were on the flight together and now there is no memory of them. The picture of a 6-year-old girl who was going abroad for the first time with her grandparents is going viral. Now her pink doll has been found in ashes. A newlywed woman, who had left for her in-laws, will now return in a coffin. These are not just statistics, but human stories—ones we should never forget.
After this accident, we must do two things—first, the victim families should be given all possible government, legal and mental support. And second, it should be ensured that any flight from India is checked a hundred times before flying the next time.
But these are not standalone solutions. This accident forces us to take a hard look at the larger civil aviation framework in India. Over the past decade, India’s aviation sector has boomed. With rising middle-class aspirations, air travel has gone from being a luxury to a necessity. But the infrastructure, oversight, and safety mechanisms have not kept pace.
Many aviation analysts have been ringing alarm bells over the chronic shortage of licensed aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs), outdated ground handling practices, and underfunded regulatory bodies. Often, airlines—pressured by cost-cutting—fly with minimum crew, overstressed pilots, and rushed pre-flight checks. Some aircrafts, insiders whisper, are cleared for takeoff with “temporary fixes” that should never be acceptable in the air.
If the Dreamliner crashed, a model considered a technological marvel, it raises grave concerns. The black box may provide answers, but our public memory should not fade before those answers come.
Privatisation in the aviation sector, though necessary for competition and service quality, must not be allowed to compromise safety in pursuit of profit. Airlines competing on low-cost models sometimes make backdoor compromises—in training, maintenance, or operational transparency. That’s a dangerous trade-off. The sky does not forgive mistakes.
International aviation watchdogs have repeatedly highlighted the need for India to strengthen its air accident investigation procedures, implement findings promptly, and bring a culture of strict, non-negotiable safety discipline. We must ask—are we listening?
There’s also the human cost—the long-term trauma of families who lose loved ones without closure. Psychological support, legal guidance, and financial relief are not charity—they are rights. Victims' families need a one-window system for help, not bureaucratic runarounds. A permanent Civil Aviation Safety and Crisis Response Commission could be considered—autonomous, empowered, and accountable directly to Parliament.
The role of media, too, must evolve. Beyond covering the flames and bodies, we must follow up months later—Was compensation disbursed? Was anyone held accountable? Were DGCA protocols changed? Were airlines made to review emergency response drills?
In our rush to move on, we tend to trivialise such events into hashtags and TV panels. But the 242 lives lost deserve a legacy—not of pity, but of policy change.
Let this accident not become another case study in a dusty file. Let it ignite reforms. Let it push aviation giants, regulators, and policymakers to put lives above ledgers.
One airline official who wished to remain anonymous said, “It’s like walking a tightrope daily. We know our safety staff is overburdened, and pilots often fly under fatigue. But the system rewards efficiency, not caution.”
That must change.
I remember a line in a poem—
"Those who were going to fly like stars,
They are now just marks in the ashes."
Let that not be the only memory. Let their loss not go in vain. Let their stories be a catalyst for India to rise from the ashes of this tragedy—not just mourning, but mending.
Because the sky is not just a space to travel. It’s a responsibility. And the time to uphold it is now.

Email:----------------------------priyankasaurabh9416@yahoo.com