Latest news with #AI388
Hans India
8 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
When airlines treat the skies as monopoly, passengers pay in blood
It's been a week since Air India Flight AI 171, a Dreamliner enroute to London Gatwick, crash-landed within seconds of take-off in Ahmedabad—killing nearly 270 people in what is now the deadliest disaster in Indian civil aviation history. And yet, the cause of the crash remains cloaked in bureaucratic silence and corporate deflection. Officials familiar with the investigation into the crash suspect that a sudden power failure shortly after take-off may have brought down the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which crashed into a medical hostel building after gaining an altitude of only 625 feet. According to an aviation expert and YouTuber, Captain Steve, in such an eventuality, the plane would fall pretty quickly and nothing would be working for the pilots to guide the plane back to the ground. When nothing else works, the ram air turbine drops out automatically at the back of the airplane' which is like a standard small boat engine that sits in the water. 'It's got a little propeller on the front of it, and it starts spinning like crazy. It works and gives me hydraulics and electric so that I can run the radios, I can lower the landing gear, and I can manoeuvre the airplane safely to a landing.' We will have to wait for the final report to know if the flight had the RAT system or not and was power failure the real reason for the crash. For now, all we know are heart-wrenching fragments. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar perished with their passengers. Vishwakumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, survived by a twist of fate, though his younger brother in 11J did not. In another tragic corner, a doctor's infant son clings to life in an ICU after the fireball consumed their residential block. DNA identification is underway, bodies are being handed over, and prayers offered. But the larger and grimmer question looms: Who will take responsibility for this catastrophe? A culture of silence, not safety: Air India continues to report an alarming number of technical snags. On June 19, AI 388 made an emergency return to Delhi after take-off, due to expired emergency slides and gas canisters. How was such an aircraft cleared for flight? We are told a 'blind check' was done—a cockpit drill where a pilot, eyes closed, locates controls under guidance. But that doesn't explain how expired safety equipment made it onto a passenger aircraft. This is not a pilot memory that is being tested—this is ignoring basic maintenance. Worse still is the information vacuum. There are unconfirmed reports of 29 technical snags in 35 days, yet there is no official statement or denial from either Air India or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Just silence. Aviation experts appear every night on TV, advising patience and reiterating that airplanes are 'systems of systems'—digital engines, hydraulics, computers. They urge us to await the investigation. But why should public trust hinge on the black box, when the entire system has gone dark? The DGCA—the very body mandated to enforce aviation safety—is conveniently hiding behind the pretext of an 'ongoing investigation.' But why isn't it answering the real question even in the aftermath of such a colossal failure: if red flags were raised about Air India's deteriorating safety standards since the Tata takeover, why was the airline allowed to operate unchecked until it cost 270 lives?' Even a semblance of transparency would have helped rebuild public trust. Instead, all we get is cold corporate condolence. A vague assurance that a '360-degree investigation' will cover human error, technical failure, even sabotage. But no one—neither the Union Civil Aviation Minister, nor the DGCA, nor Air India, and neither the owners at the Tata Group—is willing to publicly own up the failure. Crisis management or image management? As usual, PR was quicker to act than protocol. Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran gave ana exclusive, soft-focus interview to a national TV channel, circulated promptly by a PR agency. Every line sounded rehearsed. He was asked where he was when he heard the news. 'I was in my office in Bombay… I rushed to Ahmedabad,' he said, emotionally. He grieved with the victims. He promised a trust fund. He ruled out engine failure, hinted that maintenance schedules were in place. But he wasn't asked the real questions: Why were no aircraft grounded after the crash? Has a complete audit of all Dreamliners been ordered? Why not pause operations, inspect every aircraft, and restore public confidence before another tragedy unfolds? What could have been a moment for transformational leadership appeared to have become a scripted corporate monologue. The opposition: Rhetoric without responsibility: Shockingly, even the opposition has missed the mark. Instead of demanding tough questions from regulators, they're busy seeking a special Parliament session to indulge in hollow sloganeering—yet another performance of fakery and optics, perhaps timed for Bihar's upcoming elections. Where is the concern for aviation safety? Where is the pressure on the Civil Aviation Ministry? When disasters happen, only families grieve. The rest— politicians, bureaucrats, corporate houses—hide behind press releases, compensation packages and vague promises of 'processes being followed.' What they fail to grasp is this: Accountability is not an inconvenience; it is the cornerstone of public safety. Crisis misused is crisis wasted: Air India, under the Tata Group, inherited a mess. It lost over ₹70,000 crore by 2021 and was sold for ₹18,000 crore—₹2,700 crore in cash, the rest in assumed debt. But buying an airline doesn't mean buying immunity. Despite injecting new aircraft and claiming adherence to protocols, the ecosystem remains crippled. Maintenance gaps, skilled manpower shortages, outdated safety audits, and an inert regulator define India's aviation sector today. Air India needed not just a financial reboot—it required a culture overhaul, a safety renaissance, and ethical transparency. Are they moving in that direction remains the big question. Even now, there is no confirmation that all AI aircraft are being thoroughly re-checked. Chandrasekaran ruled out any independent probe, content to let the DGCA. He even claimed, 'I didn't see any red flags.' The biggest red flag, sir, remains the charred remains of AI 171. The larger truth is that Air India is being strangled by operational laxity, financial burden, regulatory lethargy, and public distrust. Without systemic overhaul—real, not cosmetic— we are sleepwalking into more disasters. The death toll of AI 171 is not just a statistic—it is a mirror held up to a country that fails its own people. Where profit outweighs procedure, where regulators hide behind forms, and where tragedies are converted into talking points before disappearing from memory. Airlines must stop treating the skies as their monopoly and passengers as collateral. The government must treat civil aviation safety not as a footnote in a budget document but as a matter of national security. The DGCA must be made autonomous, answerable to a parliamentary body—not to the political bosses or airline owners. After all, transparency is not a courtesy. It is a duty. Until we stop flying blind—in aircraft, in governance, and in ethics—we will remain a country that mourns its citizens in silence but never learns why they died. (The author is former Chief Editor of The Hans India)
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Vietnam-bound Air India flight returns to Delhi as 'precautionary measure'
'Air India flight AI388 to Ho Chi Minh City returned to Delhi as a precaution. All passengers are safe and will depart on an alternate aircraft with a fresh crew at 1800 hrs today,' the airline said ANI An Air India flight (AI388) from Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, returned to the national capital on Thursday evening as a precautionary measure shortly after takeoff. Air India said that the aircraft landed safely and all passengers were disembarked without incident. "Air India flight AI388 from Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City has air returned to Delhi as a precautionary measure. The flight landed safely back in Delhi and all passengers have been disembarked and served refreshments while an alternative aircraft with fresh crew has been arranged to fly the passengers to Ho Chi Minh City at 1800 hrs today," the airline said in a statement. "The inconvenience caused to passengers is sincerely regretted. At Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," it added. Earlier in the day, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu convened a detailed video conference 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. During the meeting several directives were issued including 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, Civil Aviation Ministry said in a release on Thursday. Airport Directors were requested to extend all possible assistance to airlines facing operational disruptions, including gate reassignments and logistical support. To maintain a safe and secure airport environment, Airport Directors were directed to reinforce wildlife hazard management, including the deterrence of birds and stray animals, it added. The Minister of Civil Aviation held a high-level meeting with the Chairman & Managing Director of Air India and the discussions focused on three critical aspects like maintaining operational continuity, supporting transparent and accountable communication with the public and passengers' safety and convenience, release said. The meeting noted that 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, release stated. "As a result, they will temporarily scale down operations, restructure flights, and announce changes through the media. Affected passengers will be rebooked or offered full refunds. Air India was urged to strengthen their ground-level coordination at airports, improve communication with passengers regarding cancellations/delays, and ensure that customer service teams are sensitised and equipped to handle increased passenger concerns with empathy and clarity," Civil Aviation Ministry said. As per an official release, meetings were also held with the senior managements of Spice Jet, Indigo and Akasa on 18th and 19th June. The Minister reviewed the fleet performance, safety oversight, passengers experience & convenience and the airline communication strategy. It was also decided that the practice of periodical review with the airlines on operational matters will be institutionalised for better monitoring and coordination. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced a formal inquiry into the Air India flight crash near Ahmedabad, an official release said. A multi-disciplinary team from AAIB has commenced an investigation on June 12, 2025. The investigation has been ordered by DG, AAIB. NTSB and OEM teams have arrived to assist AAIB as per ICAO protocols. A combined unit of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has been recovered from the crash site on 13 June 2025 and another set was found on 16 June. This model of aircraft has two Blackbox sets. The AAIB investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies. Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway. The Ministry remains committed to full transparency relating to the ongoing investigation and will follow all mandated protocols and norms, in the larger interest of the highest standards of Passenger Safety and convenience. The Minister emphasised the importance of working together as a cohesive and responsive team to uphold passenger trust and bring operational stability, which has been the cornerstone of Indian aviation over the years. It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis. The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations, ministry further added. The Ministry of Civil Aviation also urged all stakeholders to refrain from speculation on such sensitive matters and to allow the investigative process to proceed with the seriousness and professionalism it warrants.
