The Darkest Day in Aviation - An Unimaginable Tragedy - Is There a Bright Light ?

On June 12, 2025, we were reminded just how fragile life can be when Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner heading to London Gatwick, tragically went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. Onboard were 242 people, each with their own stories, dreams, and plans—whether it was for work, family reunions, or adventures or chasing dreams. In an instant, those hopes were shattered as the crash claimed 241 lives, leaving just one survivor and a nation in mourning. This tragedy is about so much more than just numbers. Each of those 241 individuals was part of a family, a community, and had their own dreams and contributions to share. Families were torn apart, communities were left heartbroken, and once again, the aviation industry faced a tough reminder that, despite all the advancements we've made, the line between safety and disaster can be incredibly thin. 

I am particularly pained because I contribute to the parallel universe after flying to U.S. three years back. I came on one such plane and need to head home on one such plane. After looking at the fireball which was produced on impact of the flight on Indian soil makes me wonder what is going on. The pictures from the crash site show a heartbreaking scene—debris scattered all over a neighborhood, the hostel building in ruins, and rescue workers searching through the wreckage. This is a tragedy that will stick with everyone in India for a long time. It’s not just numbers; it’s about countless lives that were cut short, families waiting at Gatwick who will never see their loved ones again. There can be minor, major and catastrophic accidents and this can be the third category. Everyone is beyond shocked, shuddered and felt immobile after looking at the way the mishap transpired. Can someone explain what went wrong and why we are all watching patiently when the mistakes went unnoticed for so long to see this take shape. Is it not noticed or ignored or purely accidental. For giant catastrophes happen due to a huge chain link of errors piling up for very long time. It is a moment you stop doing what you are doing and take stock of what is going on. I am not just a person to work in iron dome without getting influenced from all of these. Everyone who travels by air, who inspires others to travel by  air, got inspired to travel by air, got inspired to immigrate, visit, got dreamed of working or studying abroad and everyone who makes the decision for air travel make the story of Indian aviation and add up to the safety of the skies. Infact, we are all contributors to this parallel universe in these times of flying for visiting places and getting back home. We cannot continue to operate as if nothing has happened to us but need to remind that we are inflictors of the pain as much as the technology that failed the 270 odd people. 

 

The safety and security of third world countries and its populace trying to catch up the wave of air travel need to be the highest priority of advanced nations which are all part of aviation eco system. It is a collective failure of this ecosystem from these rich nations to fail poor people who trust the safety of air travel by putting their precious lives online. An average Indian travelling in a western plane is a concept which has its root for very long. This trust should not be lost when you cannot make air travel safer for developing nations, and particularly a big market like India who blindly trust the west. 

For whatever has happened, this is irreversible and there is no getting back the loss – those who lost, the blame direct and indirect perpetrators gets and everyone who has a hand in it. Life can never be the same for so many. Just like the recent Kashmir terror attack, this is another terror accident on Indian soil and we don’t know who is accountable or responsible. Indians need to extremely rely on positive news cycles and highlight the progress made consistently and work towards positivity, rather pointing the negative continuously. It does no good to anyone. Highlight that on May 24th , 2025 India became fourth largest economy in the world from 10th position in just little over 10 years from 2014. This rapid ascendence has very little collateral struggles other than the few here and there. As per data released on May 30th, the GDP growth rate of last quarter was 7.4% which is higher than forecasted 6.7% and an improvement over last quarter. This growth rate is the highest in the world for large economies. To put in context, the global average is 2.7%, China has 4% and US. 1.8%. These are the positive stories which we need to fall back upon and take accountability in these days rather than unfortunate and irreversible accidents. 

I talked about the indirect hands responsible for the airline accident. Let us also take note of the direct players. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed is a prime example of modern aviation technology, packed with advanced safety features and backup systems. It’s pretty shocking that such a high-tech plane experienced a serious failure during takeoff, which makes you wonder if there are any design flaws or maintenance problems. Boeing jumping in right away to help with the investigation, along with how the market reacted, shows that there are real worries about bigger issues at play. Given Boeing’s past with the 737 MAX crisis, people are paying even closer attention to how the company handles safety and design. This investigation could really impact Boeing's reputation moving forward. 

Air India's safety record has raised some eyebrows in the aviation world. There have been troubling incidents in the past, like the tragic crash in 2010 that took the lives of 158 people when a flight went off the runway and fell over a cliff. More recently, in 2020, an Air India Express accident resulted in 18 fatalities. These events point to ongoing safety issues for the airline. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is responsible for keeping an eye on safety in Indian aviation, but people are questioning how well they enforce safety rules and maintenance checks. The number of serious accidents involving Indian airlines suggests that there might be deeper problems with how safety is handled and regulated. 

There is no cutting back the corners to hope for a great future for those who want to fly after the doomed incident. The tragedy of Air India Flight 171 is a turning point for aviation in India. We need to position India as a global aviation safety leader. Create a culture where safety is never compromised for commercial considerations. Establish India as a center of excellence for aviation safety research and development for crores of passengers who just don’t travel on roads but in skies every day. 

While the pain of this loss will linger, how we respond to it will shape the future of flying in our country. We have a choice: we can let this become just another sad chapter in aviation history, or we can use it as a stepping stone to create the safest and most efficient aviation system in the world. 

Moving forward means we need to come together like never before—government, industry, and all of us as a society. We need to invest in safety measures, training, and new technology. Most importantly, we need to change our mindset so that safety is always the top priority, never sacrificed for convenience or profit. 

India has the skills, resources, and determination to create an amazing future for aviation. The 241 lives lost that fateful June morning deserve our strong commitment to making sure something like this never happens again. Their memory should inspire us to transform Indian aviation into a shining example of safety for everyone. 

The skies over India can once again be filled with the sounds of planes carrying dreams and aspirations, but only if we have the courage to learn from this tragedy and do better. We need to act now. The future of aviation in India—and the safety of millions of passengers—depends on the choices we make today.