Why only Air India? SC rejects plea for independent audit of airline’s safety practices

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking the constitution of a committee headed by a retired top court judge to independently audit Air India’s safety practices, maintenance procedures, and operational protocols.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned the selective targeting of Air India. “Why just Air India? What about others?” the bench asked while rejecting the petition.

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The plea, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami and Laxman Prasad Goswami, was prompted by the recent crash of an Air India Boeing aircraft operating on the Ahmedabad–London route, which claimed 270 lives.

The petitioners sought an independent probe into Air India’s safety and maintenance practices, and a comprehensive audit of its entire fleet by an international aviation safety agency accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The move, they argued, was necessary to address deficiencies flagged in the 2024 ICAO audit report.

They also urged the Court to direct the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to submit a time-bound report on the Ahmedabad crash.

In April 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) released its audit report on India’s civil aviation sector. While India’s overall compliance score was above the global average, the audit flagged deficiencies in fleet maintenance oversight, inadequate documentation of maintenance records, and gaps in the monitoring of corrective actions following safety incidents.

The report specifically recommended stricter surveillance of airline maintenance practices, better training for technical staff, and improved enforcement of safety directives.