Air India may discontinue flight number AI 171 following Ahmedabad tragic crash

In the aftermath of the tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171 near Ahmedabad airport, which resulted in 241 fatalities, the airline has announced the discontinuation of the flight number. The decision comes as the airline seeks to alleviate any associated trauma for passengers.

According to officials, "The flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick [London] will be re-numbered to AI 159. The return flight too will be changed to AI 160," an official told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity. The renumbering is expected to help passengers dissociate the flight from the unfortunate event.

The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was heading to London. It tragically ended with the aircraft colliding with a nearby building, leading to the explosion and substantial loss of life, including individuals on the ground. The airline has yet to make an official statement regarding the flight renumbering decision. The crash site became a focal point for recovery efforts, and authorities are diligently working to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the disaster.

Renumbering flights following significant incidents is not unprecedented in the aviation industry. Such measures aim to disassociate the route from the traumatic event. "It is also a way to disassociate the route from the tragedy in the minds of passengers and travellers," a former airline official explained.

This practice was similarly observed in the cases of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and Lion Air flight JT610, both of which saw their flight numbers changed post-accidents. These changes are often seen as a necessary step to help the public move forward and restore confidence in air travel.

Current investigations into the crash are ongoing, with authorities delving into potential technical and human errors while not excluding foul play as a possibility. The recovery of the black boxes is pivotal for understanding the cause of the crash. So far, one of the two black boxes has been retrieved, and efforts continue to locate the second. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has officially launched an investigation, with support from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other central bodies.

In response to the disaster, the Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for each victim's family. Air India is also expected to pay approximately Rs 1.5 crore per victim in line with the Montreal Convention treaty. The overall compensation related to the crash is estimated at around Rs 360 crore. Meanwhile, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has resumed partial operations as the investigation progresses. The tragedy has prompted a broader discussion on airline safety protocols, with experts emphasizing the need for stringent checks and balances to prevent such incidents in the future. This incident has highlighted the critical importance of ongoing safety reviews and improvements in aviation standards.