In the wake of the Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 260 people, Air India had seen a noticeable rise in sick leaves reported by its pilots. According to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, as many as 112 pilots, including 51 commanders, called in sick on June 16, just days after the June 12 plane crash.
Responding to a query in the Lok Sabha about possible mass sick leave reporting among Air India’s flight crew following the crash, Mohol said, “Air India reported a minor increase in sick leaves reported by pilots across all fleets in the aftermath of the AI-171 accident. On 16.06.2025, a total of 112 pilots reported sick, comprising of 51 Commanders (P1) and 61 First Officers (P2).”
On June 12, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 en route London, crashed into a building shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. The crash left 260 dead, including 241 passengers onboard and 19 individuals on the ground. One passenger, seated in seat 11A, miraculously survived the accident.
In light of the crash, the issue of pilots’ mental health has also come into focus. Mohol highlighted a February 2023 circular from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which called on airlines to provide specialised training to help flight crews and air traffic controller recognize and manage mental health challenges.
“Additionally, on mental health monitoring, the organisations (scheduled and non-scheduled operators, FTOs and AAI) were also advised to have a Peer Support Programme (PSP) in place for their employees. The organisations are required to enable, facilitate and ensure access to this proactive and non-punitive programme that will assist and support flight crew/ATCOs in recognising, coping with and overcoming any problem,” Mohol said.
In a separate written reply, Mohol confirmed that the civil aviation ministry currently has no specific policy for compensating civilians on the ground who suffer damages due to a plane crash.
