Eight air accidents killed 274 people this year: Govt data

The government on Thursday said there have been eight air accidents that killed 274 people in the country so far this year.

Apart from the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on 12 June that killed 260 people, there were three trainee aircraft accidents and four helicopter accidents.

Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha that the cause of these accidents is under probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

"There have been a total of 08 accidents (involving 1 scheduled aircraft, 3 trainee aircraft and 4 helicopters) reported in the year 2025 (till date)," he said in a written reply.

On 22 April, one person was killed in a helicopter accident in Gujarat, while on 8 May, six people died in a chopper crash in Uttarakhand. In another helicopter accident in Uttarakhand, seven people were killed on 15 June.

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As many as 84 people were injured in the eight accidents, including 81 persons in the Air India plane crash.

In a separate written reply, Mohol said a total of 18 accidents involving Indian civil registered scheduled aircraft have been reported from 2015 till date.

"Payment of compensation to the passenger or next of kin in case of death or bodily injury to the passenger, caused by air accident /incident is governed by the provisions of Carriage by Air Act, 1972.

"India has ratified the Montreal Convention, 1999 by making amendments to the Carriage by Air Act, 1972 in 2009. As per the said act, the liability of payment of compensation in case of death, delay, damage or loss to persons, baggage or cargo for international carriage, is of the carriers," Mohol said.