Syllabus: 

GS2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context: Recently, several international aviation agencies arrived in Ahmedabad to participate in the investigation followed by the crash of flight AI 171.

More on the News 

• Several international aviation agencies arrived in Ahmedabad to participate in the investigation of the tragedy happened with Air India Flight.
• Representatives from the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US civil aviation regulator, and the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) arrived in India to assist with the investigation.

Convention on International Civil Aviation

• The convention, also known as Chicago Convention, was signed in 1944 as World War II ended, established the framework for international civil aviation. 
• Its creators recognized that global air safety would require shared worldwide responsibility, given aviation's potential to connect the world like never before.
• At present, the Convention’s technical standards are overseen by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN agency based in Montreal. 
• All 193 member countries, including India, the United States and the United Kingdom, have agreed to follow its rules.
• Chapter 5 of Annex 13 states that investigations aim to improve aviation safety by identifying causes, not to assign blame or liability.
• Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, titled "Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation," outlines the international standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents. Key principles include:
  State of Occurrence: The state in whose territory an accident or incident occurs has the primary responsibility for the investigation. In the Air India case, as the incident occurred while the aircraft was in Indian airspace, India (represented by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation - DGCA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau - AAIB) holds the primary investigative authority.
  State of Registry: The state in which the aircraft is registered also has the right to appoint an accredited representative to participate in the investigation. Air India is an Indian airline, so India is also the State of Registry.
  State of the Operator: The state in which the operator's principal place of business is located has the right to appoint an accredited representative. Again, for Air India, this is India.
  State of Design and State of Manufacture: States play a key role when a design flaw is suspected and can appoint an accredited representative. For the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the U.S. agencies—as the aircraft was manufactured by Boeing and has engines made by General Electric.

1. The manufacturer, such as Boeing, may also send its own experts as part of the NTSB’s accredited team.
2. The UK’s representatives have joined the investigation since 53 British nationals were on board AI 171, all of whom died
   Purpose of Investigation: Annex 13 explicitly states that the sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident is the prevention of future accidents and incidents. It is not to apportion blame or liability.

• All participants in the investigation are entitled to visit the crash site, examine the wreckage and evidence, make technical submissions and receive the final report.
• India has followed this process earlier too. After the Air India Express Flight 812 crash in Mangalore in 2010, the U.S. agency NTSB helped with the investigation when Indian officials asked for support.

India's Investigative Bodies:

• Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): India's primary regulatory body for civil aviation, responsible for safety oversight, licensing, and airworthiness.
• Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB): The AAIB, an independent body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, investigates serious aviation incidents and accidents, identifies causes, and issues safety recommendations to prevent future occurrences.