Victims' families mark Air India crash anniversary with prayers and tributes

Families of the 260 victims gathered in Ahmedabad, India, on Friday to commemorate the first anniversary of the Air India Boeing 787 crash. The disaster occurred on June 12, 2025, when the aircraft crashed into a hostel complex, leaving behind damaged buildings that still bear the scars of the event.

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I can't believe it has been a year.

Relatives attended a commemoration ceremony at B.J. Medical College, near the crash site, alongside politicians, government officials, and foreign dignitaries. The Gujarat state government plans to demolish the damaged hostel block and replace it with a new building, with funding support from Tata Group, which owns a 75% stake in Air India.

For the mourning families and local residents, the anniversary has intensified grief and painful memories. Suresh Patni, whose son ran a tea stall and perished in the crash, shared that the family continues to mourn deeply and relies on compensation from Tata Trusts. Investigators have yet to establish the definitive cause of the crash, which was the deadliest air disaster in a decade.

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India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said at the time it was 'too early to reach any definite conclusions'.

Preliminary reports from last year indicated that the Boeing 787's engine fuel control switches moved almost simultaneously from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' shortly after takeoff, starving the engines of fuel. A cockpit recording suggested the captain may have cut the fuel flow. However, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau stated at the time that it was too early for conclusions. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the father of the captain who died in the crash, has urged India's top court to order an independent investigation that considers causes beyond pilot action, emphasizing his son's long and incident-free career.

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How can you blame him?