New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on August 8 (Friday) refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pleading for an independent safety audit of Air India following the tragic crash of flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, which killed over 241 people onboard and 19 on the ground.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi questioned why the petitioner sought to focus exclusively on Air India, especially after it faced the “unfortunate tragedy.” The court asked why other airlines were not included in the petition and cautioned against using the incident to run down the airline.
The petitioner, lawyer Narendra Kumar Goswami, claimed to be a victim of a prior “unfortunate incident” with Air India. His PIL, filed in July, sought several directives-
- Constituting an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to examine Air India’s safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and operational guidelines, and submit a report within three months.
- Conducting a comprehensive safety audit of Air India’s entire fleet by an international aviation safety agency accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), addressing the deficiencies highlighted in the 2024 ICAO audit report within six months.
- Directing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to implement a transparent and publicly accessible reporting system on aviation safety incidents.
- Ensuring Air India provides compensation to the families of crash victims as per the Montreal Convention, 1999, and offers ex gratia payments to passengers affected in the AI-143 safety incident.
However, the Supreme Court bench declined to hear the plea and asked the petitioner to withdraw it and approach the appropriate authority or forum for his grievances. Justice Surya Kant highlighted that it was not a time to run down an airline and emphasised that one tragedy should not be an occasion to single out Air India. The bench noted that safety mechanisms should apply across all carriers, not just one.
The ill-fated flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. With 242 passengers and crew onboard, the tragedy claimed 241 lives, including 181 Indian nationals and 52 UK citizens, as well as 19 people on the ground. The crash occurred while Air India was undergoing a significant operational overhaul under its current ownership by the Tata Group.
This ruling underscores the Supreme Court’s stance against singling out a single airline following a tragic accident and highlights its preference for systemic regulatory mechanisms encompassing all aviation operators.
