How safe is your next flight? DGCA responds to rising concerns after Air India 171 crash, SpiceJet & IndiGo incidents; details here
DGCA says India performs better than global safety average
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, head of the DGCA, said India's safety record remains strong. 'India's skies have always been safe—in the past and even today,' he said in an interview with the BBC. Citing International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) data, Kidwai noted that accident rates per million flights in India are generally lower than the global average, with only two years between 2010 and 2024 exceeding that benchmark due to major accidents.
India has seen three major commercial crashes in the last 15 years: in Mangalore (2010), Kozhikode (2020), and now Ahmedabad (2025). While these accidents are rare, the Air India tragedy has reignited concerns about broader safety practices across airlines.
SpiceJet, IndiGo and Air India under scanner for lapses
A report by The Economic Times revealed that SpiceJet was pulled up by the DGCA after two Q400 aircraft experienced premature propeller failures. Dowty Propellers, a UK-based manufacturer, reportedly alerted the regulator after identifying damage to the internal bearings. Instead of addressing the root issue, the airline allegedly kept applying grease to the unit. This led to an audit in April, where more deficiencies were uncovered.
Kidwai confirmed action was taken. 'We ensured SpiceJet took corrective measures. Some senior management members who were supposed to oversee compliance were removed or suspended,' he said.
Air India Express was also reprimanded earlier this year for delays in replacing engine parts and allegedly falsifying records. The airline acknowledged the lapse and took remedial steps. 'The report came through self-reporting by the airline,' Kidwai added.
In May, IndiGo faced turbulence-related issues on a Delhi–Srinagar flight. Severe updrafts and downdrafts caused cabin damage, leading to an emergency landing. No injuries occurred, but pilots were grounded pending investigation. The DGCA has since refined turbulence response guidelines.
Rising snag reports, reduced budget and expanding fleet
Between 2020 and early 2025, Indian airlines reported 2,461 technical faults. IndiGo accounted for over half (1,288), followed by SpiceJet (633), and Air India and its subsidiary (389). 'Reporting of snags by airlines has gone up. This is good,' Kidwai said. 'It's better to report every issue than to hide it.'
He added that regulators are now examining whether the quick turnaround time between flights is adequate for proper maintenance checks.
India's aviation sector is growing rapidly. In 2014–15, 116 million passengers flew across the country. That number has now doubled to 239 million. The country's aircraft fleet has also grown—nearly 850 aircraft are currently operated by scheduled carriers, up from 400 a decade ago. Including non-scheduled operators, the total count stands at 1,288 aircraft. This is expected to exceed 2,000 by the end of the decade.
Preliminary report into Air India flight 171 crash has one of the pilots asking the other why he "did the cutoff" (literally turned off the engines during takeoff).Can't make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/BRI8gXtrnr
However, this growth comes at a cost. The civil aviation ministry has seen budget cuts over the past two years, even as regulatory demands have increased.
Impact of crash on passenger confidence and flight operations
Despite the severity of the Air India crash, Kidwai said there has been no significant drop in passenger traffic. 'We observed a very marginal dip for a short period in both domestic and international flights. But it recovered quickly,' he said.
He acknowledged public anxiety following such accidents but maintained that transparency, better regulations, and time would help restore confidence. 'It's natural for people to feel anxious. But time is a great healer.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
26 minutes ago
- News18
Morning Digest: Fuel Cut Found, But More Missing In Crash Report + Top Picks
From key findings in the Air India crash report to how your brain still outsmarts AI, here's your smart, scroll-worthy Sunday morning roundup. ☀️ Good Morning, India! As the weekend winds down, we bring you a mix of big headlines, quirky science, celeb buzz, and travel inspiration. From serious gaps in the Air India crash probe to AI's human limits, here's your, here's your daily dose of top news. 💼 Filed The Wrong ITR Form? Here's What to Do With all ITR forms live and the deadline extended to Sept 15, here's a quick fix guide if you've picked the wrong form by mistake. 👉 Tax filing help About the Author News Desk Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: July 13, 2025, 06:00 IST Latest News Opinion | Maratha Military Landscape: UNESCO World Heritage Status Timely Reminder Of India's Strategic Brilliance Opinion Astrology Horoscope, July 13: Taurus Rises, Leo Glows, Pisces Reflects – Your Day Ahead Astrology Saturn Retrograde In Pisces On July 13, Check Positive And Negative Effects Of Shani Transit On All 12 Zodiac Signs Opinion Opinion | Heritage Hijacked: When Luxury Labels Overlook Our Origins, India Should Walk Away Opinion Opinion | India's Crumbling Bridges: A Nightmare That Must Stop Forthwith latest news
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vitrum Studio's Legacy in Glass and Giving
In 1957, a writer in The Times of India made a fleeting remark: "In Kemps Corner, something quietly dignified has been attempted in glass and tile… One hopes it does not go unnoticed. " It didn't quite catch fire in its time, but today, that quiet dignity is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. At the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery at CSMVS, the exhibition 'A Glazed History: Badri Narayan and the Vitrum Studio' (on view till August 31) rekindles the memory of that modest yet radical design collective that once operated in the heart of south Bombay. Vitrum was born from displacement. Polish Jewish émigré Simon Lifschutz, a glassmaker who arrived in India during the Second World War, turned to glassmaking not only as livelihood but as expression. With his wife Hanna, he established Vitrum Studio in 1957 as a philanthropic offshoot of their industrial glass factory. Their aim? To marry craftsmanship with artistic vision—and to make art functional, beautiful, and within reach. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai So strong was Simon's sense of belonging that he even took the effort to learn Urdu as a gesture of respect and connection to those around him. As his son, architect Alex Lifschutz, recalls: "He had experienced such a warm welcome in India after two years as an impoverished refugee moving from Poland through Russia, China and Burma. He felt so at home." Artists from Mumbai's modernist circles—Badri Narayan, Vijoo Sadwelkar, and others—were invited to paint on ceramic tiles, create mosaics and design objects like tabletops, lamps and trays. The aesthetic was tactile, vibrant, and quietly radical: neither elite nor mass-produced, it was art that could live in the everyday home. For Badri Narayan (1929–2013), Vitrum was more than a studio. As its first and eventual chief artist, Narayan brought with him an idealism shaped by Ruskin, William Morris, and the Arts and Crafts movement. Drawing inspiration from Diego Rivera and the US Federal Art Project, he advocated for murals and public installations across Indian cities. His most visible contribution remains the glass mosaic mural for Charles Correa's Gandhi Darshan pavilion in Delhi—a surviving testament to what Vitrum aimed for: art woven into architecture and into civic identity. In the 1960s and '70s, Narayan's handcrafted tiles sold for just 10–15, reflecting his belief that art should be accessible, democratic, and embedded in daily life. He envisioned a public art movement—ambitious, perhaps even idealistic, as the exhibition text acknowledges—but one that championed the social application of art. Curated by Puja Vaish, 'A Glazed History' is as much archaeology as it is an art show. It pieces together fragments—tiles from private collections, rare photographs, Films Division clips, architectural commissions—to reconstruct the life and legacy of a studio nearly lost to time. One of the richest sources was collector Haresh Mehta, who preserved dozens of original Vitrum pieces and shared long-forgotten anecdotes and materials. The exhibition places Vitrum within the wider context of post-independence cultural nation-building. Supported by the Central Cottage Industries under Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Vitrum's work stood at the confluence of craft revivalism and modernist aesthetics. For Narayan, this confluence also meant engaging with tradition while forging a contemporary voice—drawing on mythologies, folklore, and literature to create a symbolic vocabulary. Vitrum Studio was also, as Alex Lifschutz recalls, a deeply personal endeavour. "Art was very important to my mother and father," he says. "Both had a hand in the Studio although my father was much more responsible for the factory." Simon, an engineer trained in industrial glass, also saw art as a civic commitment. "He wanted to create value—not just economic, but cultural, social and aesthetic." That ethos extended to their charitable ventures, like teaching child beggars to make delicate glass animals. The studio's design itself embraced passive cooling, recycled materials, and thoughtful provisions for women workers—making Vitrum a forerunner of today's ethical design studios. "There isn't a single 'right time' for overlooked histories to surface," says Vaish. "But this one reminds us that art can be civic, democratic and collaborative." Vitrum's legacy, as Alex sees it, was always about creating value—not just economic, but social, cultural and aesthetic.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sweat equity! Corporate India invests in workplace sports
Indian companies are increasingly incorporating sports activities into the workplace to foster employee bonding and bridge the gap between leadership and staff. Firms like PepsiCo, Myntra, and RPG Raychem are offering facilities for traditional sports and embracing newer ones like pickleball. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: India Inc is increasingly game for organising sports activities at workplaces to infuse a greater sense of bonding among employees while also bridging the gulf between the leadership and the workforce. Many companies such as PepsiCo, Myntra , RPG Raychem and Harrisons Malayalam are not only providing in-house facilities for traditionally popular sports but some among these are also embracing newer ones like pickleball , said industry for example, launched two in-house pickleball courts earlier this year. 'With this, we have added a fun, social sport to our 'Along with other facilities like tennis, a gym, arcade games across floors and more, we extended access to a cricket practice net and ground, along with an indoor badminton court near our office.'Siddhant Jatia, the founder of Picklebay, which provides services to help set up pickleball courts, said that in just eight weeks the company's pipeline grew from 15 early-stage leads to more than 50 large enterprises, including multinationals. He said one of the leading airlines and a professional services company were among the first companies in India to take to the game. 'We anticipate onboarding at least 5,000 employees across 10 corporates through masterclasses and internal leagues within the first 60-90 days of deployment.' Swiggy has, earlier this year, partnered with cricketer Rishabh Pant to co-own Mumbai Pickle Power ahead of the inaugural season of the World Pickleball League. Other companies, including PepsiCo, are creating spaces within the office for football, table tennis, pool, carrom, chess and mini-golf.'Here, teams can bond beyond work,' said Pavitra Singh, PepsiCo CHRO for India and South Asia. The company has just concluded its annual sports week, or the PepsiCo India League. 'Over the last two years, our leaders have amplified the impact of the League,' Singh said. RPG Group is busy preparing for its annual sports day. Within the group, Raychem RPG organises sports activities on a quarterly basis, while Harrisons Malayalam will have a sports month at the end of this year.'Well-being remains central to our 'Hello Happiness' philosophy, which embraces holistic health and a balanced life. We encourage our people to stay active, and each of our group companies would bring together its people through forms of sports and games from time to time,' said Supratik Bhattacharyya, chief talent officer, RPG space provider Mindspace Business Parks REIT affirmed that there has been a significant increase in sporting activities among companies in India. 'Sports ranks high on the demand among our corporate clients, especially over the last 12 months or so,' said its managing director and chief executive officer Ramesh Nair. 'This is primarily led by demand from Gen Zs in the workforce for indoor and outdoor games at workplaces.'The company is engaged in conducting several championships across its business parks in the country. It introduced pickleball at two of its properties in Mumbai, drawing more than 1,000 employees from 80 companies.
