PIL filed in SC to ground Air India's Boeing fleet
Following the fatal
Air India
crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed around 270 people, a PIL has been filed before the
Supreme Court
seeking an interim suspension of the carrier's Boeing fleet, pending a comprehensive security and safety audit.
An SC lawyer, who was also a recent passenger on an Air India flight, sought surprise safety audits across the entire fleet of the carrier and other commercial airlines operating in India . Further, he asked the SC to direct the Central government, Air India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to immediately enforce stricter regulatory oversight and wants the entire
Air India Boeing fleet
to remain grounded till safety audit is done within two weeks.
Bansal, who flew from Delhi to Chicago on May 20 pointed out to a host of service failures on his flight—including defective seats and in-flight entertainment services—which he claims are symptomatic of larger systemic issues plaguing Air India's fleet.
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'That Air India's service and safety failures jeopardise passenger lives and comfort, contravene DGCA safety audits, and breach statutory duties under Section 5 and 7 of the Aircraft Act 1934,' the PIL stated, while wanting new operational guidelines that mandated stringent and periodic checks on all cabin equipment, engines, and airframes aircraft systems.
'This is not an isolated tragedy, but the consequence of chronic neglect, regulatory laxity, and an airline culture that has prioritised operational expedience over
passenger safety
," the lawyer said.
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In addition, the petition also made references to reports by whistleblower accounts against Boeing and its manufacturing practices.
Last week, in a meeting held with the senior officials of Air India and Air India Express, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that the Tata group-run carrier's Boeing 787 fleet did not show any major safety concerns and the systems were compliant with existing safety standards. The meeting was held to review their operations to ensure compliance with safety and passenger service regulations.
All but one of those on board an Air India flight bound for London Gatwick that crashed shortly after take-off from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on 12 June died. There were 242 passengers and crew on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
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