New Delhi, July 22:
Air India has been served nine show-cause notices in connection with five separate safety violations over the past six months, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The disclosure comes amidst heightened scrutiny of the airline following the fatal crash of a Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad last month, which claimed 260 lives and left 81 injured.
Responding to questions raised by members of Parliament, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed that enforcement action has already been completed in one of the five identified violations, though specific details about the violations were not disclosed.
“No adverse trend has been reported in Air India’s crash reliability reports over the last six months,” Mr. Mohol said, in reply to CPM MP John Brittas, while acknowledging the issuance of multiple notices.
Tragic Crash in Ahmedabad Underlines Air Safety Concerns
The Civil Aviation Ministry’s statements follow public outcry over the Ahmedabad-London Boeing 787 crash, which saw the aircraft collide into a medical college hostel, causing severe ground casualties. Among the 241 people on board, only one passenger survived, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.
Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered comprehensive inspections of Air India’s fleet of Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft.
In a written reply, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu informed the Rajya Sabha that:
“Of the total 33 Dreamliner aircraft, 31 operational aircraft have been inspected. Minor findings were observed in 8 aircraft, which were cleared for operation post-rectification. The remaining two are under scheduled maintenance.”
Sabotage Angle Under Investigation
In response to a separate query by DMK MP Kanimozhi, MoS Murlidhar Mohol said authorities are not ruling out any possibilities, including sabotage, as they probe the exact cause of the Ahmedabad crash. Investigations are ongoing and being conducted from multiple angles to determine the root cause.
DGCA’s Enforcement Activity
As per the ministry’s data, the DGCA has conducted 254 enforcement actions up to April this year. These include warnings, suspensions, cancellations, and imposition of financial penalties. For comparison, there were 673 enforcement actions in 2023 and 542 in 2022, indicating sustained regulatory oversight in India’s aviation sector.
