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Close calls and hard lessons: A wake-up call for global aviation

In the wake of multiple air incidents, the global aviation industry faces mounting pressure to modernise safety systems and restore public trust read more The remains of Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport. CISFHQrs/PTI In an era of growing global air traffic, aviation safety is facing unprecedented scrutiny. A series of incidents—from the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash to near-misses and mid-air emergencies—has triggered urgent conversations across the industry. While some airlines respond with heartfelt resolve, others are turning to cutting-edge technologies. Together, these developments point to a critical inflection point for aviation: a comprehensive, technology-enabled and emotionally intelligent approach to airline safety. Close calls and hard lessons Recent events have thrown a spotlight on the fragility of aviation safety systems, particularly when high volume, human error or unforeseen technical failures come into play. Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed on June 12, killing 279 people including 241 passengers. The tragedy has not only sent shockwaves through the Indian aviation sector but also deeply shaken Air India's workforce. Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran, in an address to 700 employees, described the crash as 'the most heartbreaking' incident of his career. While commending staff for their courage, he urged them to stay strong amid mounting criticism, noting, 'We need to use this incident as a driving force to create a safer airline.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He emphasised that aviation is a complex system filled with layers of checks and balances—and even so, accidents can still occur. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Southwest Airlines is demonstrating a different approach—investing in prevention rather than responding to crisis. The role of technology Reports say Southwest Airlines has begun installing a new Honeywell-designed cockpit alert system—Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS)—across its all-Boeing 737 fleet. The system delivers verbal and text alerts to warn pilots when they are attempting to take off from a taxiway or are approaching a runway incorrectly, thereby addressing a range of situational hazards. This move follows a March 20-incident at Orlando International Airport, where a Southwest plane mistakenly began takeoff from a taxiway instead of a runway. An air traffic controller caught the error in time, averting a potential disaster. Had the Honeywell system been active, the pilots would likely have received an automated warning—'On taxiway! On taxiway!"—that could have corrected their course even earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported. As Southwest COO Andrew Watterson told the Wall Street Journal, the system acts as a critical safety layer: 'It is a really powerful tool… to add more barriers to potentially bad outcomes.' Systemic overload: A crisis-filled weekend in Indian skies While Southwest's approach showcases safety innovation, the Indian aviation sector endured a barrage of operational crises following the Air India crash. Within just 36 hours, four separate in-flight emergencies were reported, raising widespread concerns about preparedness and safety culture. On June 16, an Air India Express flight to Ranchi returned to Delhi after technical issues were detected shortly after takeoff. That same day, an Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi had to turn back due to a suspected technical snag. Air India later confirmed the Boeing 787 aircraft landed safely and was being inspected as a precaution. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In yet another episode, a Lufthansa flight enroute to Hyderabad from Frankfurt turned back after a bomb threat was received mid-air. Passengers were safely screened upon return and investigations are underway. Meanwhile, a British F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing in Kerala due to low fuel—prompting full emergency protocols at Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Although none of these incidents resulted in injuries, the sheer number and timing have amplified public anxiety and tested the resilience of operational frameworks. Merging human vigilance and technological precision The need for real-time, fail-safe cockpit interventions has never been more urgent. As Thea Feyereisen, a senior aerospace engineer at Honeywell, told the Wall Street Journal, these near-misses 'happen more than we want to think that they happen.' Honeywell's RAAS has been praised for preventing runway misidentifications, including those at major US airports like San Francisco, where an Air Canada jet nearly landed on a taxiway lined with four other aircraft in 2017. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded in 2018 that Honeywell's alert system could have warned the Air Canada pilots in time to avoid the near-tragedy. At Southwest, even pilots who initially worried that the alerts might become distracting have since embraced them. Captain Jody Reven, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, stated: 'It gets your attention. It's not so important in Midland, Texas, but when you're in Philly or L.A., it's a great added tool' (Wall Street Journal, June 17). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, these technological upgrades are only as effective as the culture that surrounds them. Chandrasekaran's message to Air India employees—stressing unity, accountability and emotional resilience—reflects the human side of the safety equation. He emphasised that while nothing could undo the pain of the lost lives, employees must channel their grief into purpose and action. Regulation, retrofitting and the policy vacuum Despite growing evidence that cockpit alert systems like RAAS can save lives, their adoption remains inconsistent. In August 2024, an FAA advisory panel recommended that such systems be required on newly produced aircraft—but stopped short of calling for retrofitting older fleets. An FAA spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the agency is still reviewing the proposal. That ambiguity leaves safety as a matter of airline discretion. While some like Southwest and Alaska Airlines are investing in the Honeywell system, others may delay due to costs, operational disruptions, or competing priorities. Yet, as history shows—from the 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky, to the 2017 San Francisco near-miss—errors in runway navigation are a long-standing risk. Proactive or reactive? A defining moment for aviation safety Whether it's a pilot hearing 'On taxiway!' before a fatal mistake, or a CEO urging staff to endure amid public grief, the message is the same: safety must evolve from a reactive practice into a predictive science. Technology, when paired with training, awareness, and institutional transparency, can shift aviation toward that future. As air travel booms and operational pressures increase, both governments and airlines must ask a critical question: do we wait for accidents to teach us, or do we prevent them with every tool we have?