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Centre slams Western media for 'vested' coverage of Air India crash, lauds probe
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said it was a huge success as AAIB decoded the damaged black box in India, unlike earlier cases when it was sent abroad.
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday said the government will wait for the final report on the Air India crash in Ahmedabad before making any conclusions.
He urged western media to avoid speculation and lauded 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. I believe in AAIB. I believe in the work that they are doing. They have done a wonderful job in decoding the whole black box and getting the data out in India itself,” Kinjarapu said.
He called it a major achievement, pointing out that earlier, the black box had to be sent abroad to retrieve data.
“It was a huge success for us because 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 successfully AAIB has decoded everything. The data has been here. The preliminary report has also been seen,” the minister remarked.
Calling for caution until the investigation is complete, the minister said drawing conclusions at this stage would be inappropriate.
“Making any comments until the final report has come, I don't think it is a good exercise on behalf of anyone. We are also very cautious and studying the report thoroughly, and whatever necessary needs to be done in terms of safety, we are ready to do it,” said the civil aviation minister.
He reiterated the need for patience and affirmed the government’s commitment to aviation safety.
“Regarding the incident and investigation, we have to wait for the final report before we say anything.”
The AAIB is currently reviewing the circumstances surrounding the Air India crash that took place in Ahmedabad on June 12. The preliminary findings are under examination, and the final report is expected to offer a clearer picture of the causes and necessary safety interventions.
