A Tragic Reminder of Aviation Vulnerabilities
On June 12, 2025, the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad sent shockwaves across the country. The Boeing 787 aircraft, bound for Gatwick with 242 passengers and crew on board, went down in the densely populated Meghaninagar area. With little hope of survivors, authorities have launched an intensive investigation. However, one crucial detail has emerged in the chaos—a chilling “Mayday” call issued by the pilots moments before disaster struck. This internationally recognized distress signal has become a focal point in understanding what went wrong, and more broadly, in questioning the safety infrastructure of Indian aviation.
What is a Mayday Call?
The term “Mayday” is not casual radio chatter. It is a formal, internationally recognized emergency protocol used in aviation and maritime transport. When repeated three times—“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”—it signals that an aircraft or vessel is in grave and imminent danger. Typically, it’s issued due to events such as engine failure, onboard fire, or structural malfunction. In the case of AI-171, the Mayday call came mere minutes after takeoff, suggesting an emergency of significant magnitude—yet one that escalated too quickly for any coordinated rescue to intervene effectively.
The Origins and Purpose of the Mayday Signal
The Mayday call dates back to the early 1920s, introduced by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in England. Drawing inspiration from the French phrase “m’aider” (meaning “help me”), Mockford proposed “Mayday” as a universally intelligible term to denote crisis, especially for flights operating between Britain and France. Prior to this, distress was signaled using the Morse code SOS. But the spoken word “Mayday” offered clarity in voice communications, particularly in noisy or stressful conditions.
Despite its long history and standardized usage, the Mayday system is only as effective as the response infrastructure that supports it. That’s where the tragedy of AI-171 raises uncomfortable questions.
What Happens After a Mayday Call Is Made?
When a Mayday is transmitted, air traffic control (ATC) immediately prioritizes the distressed aircraft by clearing all other radio traffic on the same frequency. The pilot is expected to communicate details of the emergency, including location, nature of the problem, and intentions. In an ideal scenario, this enables immediate coordination of emergency services and guides the aircraft to a safe landing—or at least a controlled crash that minimizes loss of life.
But AI-171 broke contact soon after issuing the distress call. No further communication followed. This silence speaks volumes and points to either a catastrophic system failure or a sudden chain of events that rendered the cockpit crew incapacitated. In either case, it emphasizes the terrifying limitations of emergency protocol in real-time crisis situations.
The Crew and the Context
Flight AI-171 was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned pilot with over 8,200 flying hours, accompanied by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. These are not rookie aviators. The presence of experienced professionals makes the crash even more troubling and narrows the cause down to either severe technical failure or procedural lapses beyond their control. What could go so wrong, so fast, that no recovery or further communication was possible?
Critically Assessing India's Aviation Emergency Preparedness
While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deployed a team to investigate, the AI-171 crash also raises deeper, systemic questions. Is India’s emergency aviation infrastructure equipped to handle high-stakes real-time disasters? Was the ATC response swift and effective after receiving the Mayday? Were the airport's maintenance records up to global standards?
India has witnessed a growing air travel boom over the past decade, yet critical attention to aviation safety protocols and real-time emergency response has often lagged behind. The Air India crash underscores the dire need for policy reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and rigorous safety audits—not just after tragedies, but as a proactive strategy.
Final Thoughts: When Protocols Fall Short
A Mayday call is a final cry for help—an acknowledgment that all other systems have failed. It is not merely a procedural broadcast; it is a plea for life. In the case of Air India AI-171, that plea may have come too late, or not been met with the urgency it required.
This tragedy serves as a somber reminder that while aviation has become statistically safer over the years, it is still not immune to catastrophe. Especially in fast-growing markets like India, where operational pressure sometimes supersedes safety priorities, the systems in place to handle emergencies must be robust, reactive, and always ready.
The next steps lie in transparency, accountability, and reform—not just for the sake of those lost in the skies over Ahmedabad, but for everyone who will take to the skies tomorrow.