The newly inaugurated black box decoding lab in Delhi, established at Udaan Bhawan with support from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is now operational. This state-of-the-art facility was designed to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and reduce India's reliance on foreign labs for flight recorder analysis. However, this is its first real test in a major accident investigation.

Despite the lab's capabilities, experts say severely damaged flight recorders often require highly specialized equipment and advanced forensic analysis available in facilities like those of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). If the domestic lab is unable to retrieve the data effectively, the recorders may be sent abroad under strict chain-of-custody protocols and international supervision.

Black box data—especially the final moments recorded by the CVR and DFDR—are essential to understanding the cause of the crash. These devices store critical flight parameters, voice communications, and cockpit alerts. According to ICAO regulations, a preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the crash, with the final report due within a year.

As the AAIB leads the investigation, with support from Boeing, the NTSB, and other international agencies, key areas of focus include the aircraft's technical condition, pilot performance, air traffic control records, and any external factors such as bird or drone interference.

The aviation community and the victims’ families now await further updates, particularly regarding the decoding progress and the preliminary findings that could shed light on one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years.