Civil Aviation Minister does review of safety after Air India crash
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The government has undertaken a comprehensive review of safety, passenger facilitation, and airline performance following the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 plane killing 274 people.Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu met the CEO of Air India and senior management of IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air.The meeting focused on maintaining operational continuity, supporting transparent and accountable communication with the public and passengers' safety and convenience, the ministry of civil aviation said.The government said that the meeting was called due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, enhanced safety checks, and a ban on night flying in Europe, Air India is facing reduced aircraft availability. As a result, they will temporarily scale down operations, restructure flights, and announce changes through the media.Air India had also said that it reduce flights to Europe and North America by 15% till mid-July to increase the availability of contingency aircraft for meeting any sudden flight disruptions.The airline has cancelled more than 80 flights since the accident.Most of the affected flights were to be operated by 787s. These flights were cancelled due to enhanced inspections by the aviation regulator, the effect of which got worsened by the closure of Iran's airspace, forcing airlines to take longer detours. Night curfew in European airports further delayed the return leg as pilots also ran out of their permitted duty hours.Naidu also spoke with all airport directors across the country to review ground-level preparedness and passenger support mechanisms in the light of rescheduling of flights happening due to multiple reasons like post-accident checks, weather changes, closing of certain airspaces due to geopolitical tensions etc.'Close liaison with airlines was emphasized to ensure passenger issues are addressed swiftly and on the spot. Availability of food, drinking water, and adequate seating facilities at terminals must be ensured, particularly during flight delays or congestion.Sufficient personnel must be deployed at key touchpoints to manage passenger grievances proactively,' the ministry said.Airport Directors were requested to extend all possible assistance to airlines facing operational disruptions, including gate reassignments and logistical support.The government also said that no decision on sending the black box to US has been taken and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will take a call on it.DGCA boss Faiz Ahmed Kidwai met CEOs of both the airlines- Campbell Wilson and Aloke Singh over a virtual meeting. The head of operations, safety and training of both the airlines were part of the meeting.'Both the airlines were asked to do a complete safety review and be extra cautious. If necessary, the airlines should cancel flights but enhanced checks are a must,' a government official said.
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