Air India pilots report sick leave after deadly Ahmedabad crash

The Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8, was flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. It crashed into a medical college campus building shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12.

New Delhi: There has been a small rise in the number of Air India pilots taking sick leave after the Ahmedabad plane crash.

This was mentioned by the government during a session in the Rajya Sabha. Last month, on June 12, a plane crashed in Ahmedabad. A total of 260 people died in the crash, with 241 of them being on the plane. A member of the Lok Sabha asked whether many Air India crew members are taking sick leave. This question was related to the situation after the crash. In response, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said there has been a slight increase in the number of pilots taking sick leave.

The minister told Parliament that 51 pilots reported being unwell on June 16, which is four days after the crash.

In a written reply, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation said, "There has been a slight increase in the number of Air India pilots taking sick leave after the AI-171 crash. A total of 112 pilots reported illness on June 16, 2025, including 51 Commanders (P1) and 61 First Officers (P2). "

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a medical circular in February 2023.
It advised airlines to create a separate training program for flight crew and air traffic controllers (ATCOs). The goal of the program was to identify and address the effects of mental health problems. Air traffic controllers help guide airplanes.

Mohol also mentioned that advice was given to aviation-related organizations. "In addition, organizations like scheduled and non-scheduled operators, flying training organizations, and the Airports Authority of India were also advised to have a peer support program (PSP) for their employees to monitor mental health," Mohol said. Organizations need to support and ensure access to this proactive and non-punitive program, which will help flight crews and ATCOs identify and deal with any issues.

In another written reply, Mohol said the Ministry of Civil Aviation does not have a specific policy for compensation for loss of civilian lives on the ground due to a plane crash.

The Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8, was flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. It crashed into a medical college campus building shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12. More than 260 people died in the disaster. There were 241 people on the plane and 19 on the ground. One passenger was injured and suffered serious injuries.