A bitter row is brewing between Britain and India over the investigation into last week's Air India crash that killed 158 people. British aviation experts have accused Indian authorities of blocking access to critical flight data, raising fears of a cover-up.
The crash, which occurred during a storm near Mumbai, has left families on both sides demanding the truth. But the search for answers is now entangled in politics. UK officials say India has refused to share the black box recordings and maintenance logs, citing national security.
“This is not just about technical details. It’s about accountability,” said a senior British investigator who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Without full access, we cannot rule out sabotage or pilot error.”
The British team, led by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, has been sidelined. Instead, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is running the probe, with support from Russian and French experts.
The standoff has sparked anger among victims’ families. Sunita Patel, whose husband was a passenger, said: “We are being kept in the dark. The British are the best in the world at this. Why won’t India let them do their job?”
For the UK government, the stakes are high. Hundreds of British nationals were on the flight, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy has pledged a “transparent” investigation. In a statement, he called on India to “cooperate fully” and warned that “any obstruction will have consequences.”
But India’s aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, hit back, accusing Britain of “undermining our sovereignty.” He insisted the probe was “rigorous and impartial” and rejected any foreign interference.
The clash echoes historical tensions. In 2010, a similar dispute erupted after an Air India Express crash in Dubai, where British experts were barred from the cockpit. That probe was dogged by accusations of incompetence and delay.
Aviation analyst David Learmount, a former RAF pilot, said: “This is a classic political tug-of-war. India wants to protect its national carrier from blame. But the British are right to push. Families deserve the truth, not a whitewash.”
Behind the scenes, the rivalry is fuelled by commercial interests. Air India is struggling to compete with Gulf carriers, and a damning report could devastate its reputation. Meanwhile, UK aerospace firms have billions of pounds at stake in the Indian market.
The clock is ticking. International aviation rules require the black box data to be shared within 30 days of a crash. With 27 days left, the standoff shows no sign of thawing.
For the loved ones of those lost, the wait is agonising. “Every day feels like a year,” said Patel. “We just want to know what happened to them. Is that too much to ask?”
