The Air India jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people in the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. The aircraft was powered by engines manufactured by GE Aerospace, which have remained a central focus of the inquiry.

Investigators conducted engine tests in April and traveled to France last month as part of an examination of the aircraft’s engine management unit, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the details have not been made public.
Bloomberg News reported earlier on Thursday that a final report could be released within three months after technical studies involving the engines, which were sent to the United States for examination, are completed.

Under international aviation rules, accident investigators are expected to publish a final report within one year of a crash. When an investigation remains unfinished, authorities typically issue an interim statement outlining progress made in the inquiry.

Reuters reported last month that Indian officials were preparing an interim report rather than a final determination ahead of the anniversary because of the complexity of the investigation.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the civil aviation ministry, Air India, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing and GE Aerospace did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A preliminary report released last year found that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches moved almost simultaneously from the “RUN” position to “CUTOFF” shortly after takeoff, cutting fuel supply to both engines and leading to a loss of thrust.

The findings intensified scrutiny of cockpit actions in the moments before the crash. Reuters reported last year that an early assessment by U.S. officials, based in part on cockpit voice recorder dialogue, supported the possibility that the captain had cut fuel flow to the engines. The AAIB subsequently said it was too early to reach definitive conclusions.

The captain’s father later petitioned India’s Supreme Court for an independent investigation, arguing that potential causes beyond deliberate pilot action should be fully examined.

The Federation of Indian Pilots wrote on June 5 to the civil aviation minister, aviation regulator and the prime minister’s office urging investigators not to release an interim report without obtaining additional technical information from Boeing and Air India.

According to a letter reviewed by Reuters, the pilots’ body argued that further data were necessary to evaluate and challenge what it described as a pilot-suicide theory being explored during the investigation.
The preliminary report did not issue any safety recommendations to Boeing or GE Aerospace, indicating investigators had not identified technical deficiencies requiring immediate corrective action at that stage.

The accident marked the first fatal crash involving Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011.

The crash occurred during Air India’s ongoing restructuring following its privatization, a transformation that has faced challenges from supply-chain disruptions, the conflict involving Iran and airspace restrictions imposed by Pakistan on Indian carriers.

The agreement represents a significant reopening of a market that had once accounted for a major share of Boeing’s global commercial aircraft deliveries before trade tensions and safety concerns sharply reduced Chinese demand.

Speaking aboard Air Force One after departing Beijing, Trump said China also secured an option to purchase as many as 750 additional Boeing aircraft under the arrangement. Boeing later confirmed the 200-plane order but did not disclose aircraft models, delivery timelines or financial terms.

“We had a very successful trip to China and accomplished our major goal of reopening the China market to orders for Boeing aircraft,” the company said in a statement, adding that it expected to continue addressing China’s long-term aviation demand.

Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg joined a delegation of senior American executives accompanying Trump during the Beijing visit as U.S. companies sought to deepen commercial engagement with China despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Trump said the agreement would also benefit GE Aerospace, which he said could supply between 400 and 450 aircraft engines tied to the deal. GE Aerospace Chief Executive H. Lawrence Culp was also part of the delegation.

The Trump administration has increasingly positioned Boeing at the center of its strategy to expand U.S. manufacturing exports and strengthen industrial competitiveness abroad. Several major aircraft orders have followed presidential visits and bilateral meetings during Trump’s second term.

Last year, Qatar Airways agreed to purchase up to 210 Boeing widebody aircraft during Trump’s Middle East visit, while Korean Air later formalized a deal valued at roughly $50 billion for aircraft, engines and maintenance services following talks in Washington with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Additional orders followed from Turkish Airlines, Emirates and FlyDubai, helping Boeing recover from a prolonged downturn in international sales.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, China accounted for roughly one-third of Boeing’s narrowbody aircraft deliveries. The company’s position weakened after deteriorating U.S.-China relations and the grounding of the 737 MAX fleet following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

China became the first country to suspend operations of the 737 MAX in 2019 and resumed flights only in 2023, later than many other aviation markets.
Ortberg assumed leadership of Boeing in 2024 during a period of mounting operational and financial pressure after a panel blowout aboard a 737 MAX flight departing Portland, Oregon intensified scrutiny over manufacturing standards and safety controls.

Analysts said details surrounding broader trade agreements reached during the Trump-Xi summit remained limited. Bonnie Glaser said there was little publicly available information on other potential Chinese purchases involving U.S. agricultural and energy exports.

The talks, described by the newspaper as preliminary and wide-ranging, involved companies such as General Motors, Ford Motor, GE Aerospace and Oshkosh, and began prior to the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.

Defense officials raised the possibility that non-traditional manufacturers could support or supplement established defense contractors, including by rapidly transitioning portions of their production lines to military equipment and supplies, the report said.Reuters could not independently verify the discussions.

The companies named in the report did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.In a statement to Reuters, a Pentagon official said the Department of Defense is “committed to rapidly expanding the defense industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage.

”The outreach comes as Washington faces growing pressure on its military inventories following sustained support for Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion and ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, alongside U.S. strikes in Iran.

These developments have led to the drawdown of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles.President Donald Trump earlier this month requested a $500 billion increase in the U.S. military budget, bringing the proposed total to $1.5 trillion, as part of a broader effort to strengthen defense capabilities during the conflict with Iran.

The Pentagon has also engaged directly with the defense industry, with Trump meeting executives from seven major defense contractors in March as officials explore options to accelerate production and rebuild inventories.