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Hans India
25-06-2025
- Hans India
PIL in SC seeks grounding of Air India Boeing fleet
New Delhi: A public interest litigation has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an immediate suspension of operations of all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India, pending a comprehensive safety audit. The petition comes in the aftermath of a tragic Air India Boeing crash on the Ahmedabad–London route on June 12, which claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 29 individuals on the ground. The PIL, filed by advocate Ajay Bansal, urges the apex court to ensure stringent compliance with safety regulations and passenger service standards under the Aircraft Act, 1934, and Aircraft Rules, 1937.
India Today
24-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Ground Air India Boeing jets pending safety audit: Plea in top court after crash
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court seeking an immediate safety audit of Air India's Boeing fleet, days after an the airliner's Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 275 petition, filed by advocate Ajay Bansal, calls for the grounding of all Boeing aircraft until a comprehensive safety check is completed within a set timeframe of two India flight AI 171, bound for London, crashed on June 12 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft had 242 passengers and crew on board when it went down and ploughed into a medical college building. There was only one survivor. Naming the central government, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Air India as parties, the plea alleges that civil aviation rules are not being properly followed on commercial it a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner argues that the safety and security of passengers is a matter of the fundamental right to the interim, the plea urges the court to "suspend operation of Boeing aircraft of Air India, pending a safety audit within two weeks, in view of the recent crash and reported maintenance backlogs."advertisementThe petition also calls for the DGCA to audit the fleets of all Indian airlines, including Air India, and publish the findings. It asks that fines be imposed on airlines found in violation of safety PIL demands that the government be directed to create new guidelines for periodic inspections of aircraft engines, airframes, and cabin plea also cites passenger complaints reported on social media about faulty seats and malfunctioning air conditioning. The petitioner argues that aircraft with such complaints should not be allowed to his petition, Bansal cited his experience on an Air India business class flight from Delhi to Chicago on May 20. He claimed the seats did not recline, entertainment systems weren't working, and air conditioning was faulty. He said the airline later offered him Rs 10,000 as Supreme Court is yet to list the matter for hearing.- EndsWith PTI inputs
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
PIL wants Air India's Boeing jets grounded until checks
A Public Interest Petition (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking urgent directions for suspension of operations of all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India until a safety audit is carried out. The plea has been moved in the wake of the recent crash of an Air India Boeing aircraft operating on the Ahmedabad-London route which killed 241 passengers and crew members onboard and 29 persons on the ground. The petitioner, Advocate Ajay Bansal , has urged the top court to ensure passenger safety and statutory compliance with respect to Air India's operations. The plea states that Bansal and his wife travelled on Air India flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago on May 20. They were seated in the Business Class but found the seats non-functional, the in-flight entertainment system inoperative and the air-conditioning not working until cruising altitude. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Order surprise audits of all flights, petitioner urges Supreme Court
A petition filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) alleged 'systemic failures' in maintenance, functionality and passenger services on Air India flights while highlighting the tragic Ahmedabad crash. The plea filed by advocate Ajay Bansal wanted the court to order the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct surprise audits of the entire fleet of Air India and other airlines operating in India, and make public its findings, corrective measures and penalties imposed. Mr. Bansal argued that the systemic failures of airlines directly affect the fundamental right to life of air travellers, pointing to the loss of the lives of 241 air passengers and 29 doctors when AI171 plunged into a densely populated area seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12. The petition sought a suspension of the operation of Air India's Boeing fleet in order to hold a safety audit within two weeks. The plea pointed to the Ahmedabad crash and reports of maintenance backlogs. 'Check all equipment' Arraigning the Union government, Air India Limited, the DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) as respondents, the petition pushed for the formulation of 'fresh mandatory guidelines for Air India and other airlines, prescribing stringent and periodic functional checks of all cabin equipment (seats, entertainment, climate control), engines, airframes and ancillary systems, consistent with best international standards (FAA FAR 25, EASA CS-25)'. The petition contended that the DGCA and the BCAS had failed to strictly enforce the Aircraft Act, 1934, Aircraft Rules, 1937, as well as the relevant civil aviation requirements or take any 'concrete action', despite adverse reports on airlines. 'Issue directions to respondents for stringent security and scientific checks of all planes operating in India and immediate grounding of Air India and other aircraft found not fully functional or lacking prescribed facilities for international passenger service until all defects are rectified and airworthiness recertified,' Mr. Bansal sought.
Canada News.Net
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Lawyer moves Supreme Court seeking suspension of Air India Boeing fleet
New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): A Public Interest Litigation plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an interim suspension of all of Air India's Boeing flights following the fatal Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed 241 of the 242 passengers. The plea has been filed by Advocate Ajay Bansal, who has sought a safety audit of all of Air India flights and those of other airlines to address systemic safety failures in Air India's operations, particularly its Boeing fleet. The plea has raised several grounds, the foremost being the gross violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty. The petitioner argues that passenger safety is an integral part of this right, and chronic maintenance failures, such as those evident in the present case, constitute an infringement of the same. Further, the petition highlights a breach of statutory duties under the Aircraft Act and Rules, especially Rules 30 and 134, which mandate periodic airworthiness and fitness checks. It alleges that Air India's conduct demonstrates clear non-compliance with these mandatory requirements. Additionally, the petitioner emphasises that the statutory obligation to conduct regular safety audits and provide adequate passenger facilities on international flights has not been met, resulting in a major accident and the loss of 241 passengers, including many aspiring doctors, thereby affecting families and communities at large. The plea also asserts that there has been inadequate enforcement of safety regulations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The plea further alleges that systemic maintenance gaps, including malfunctioning air conditioning systems before take-off, routinely evade the oversight of these authorities, showing a failure to implement mandatory pre-flight procedures. The petitioner highlights that the Supreme Court has, in the past, issued guidelines in similar public interest matters concerning safety in the transportation sector, such as in MC Mehta v. Union of India (1987). Therefore, there is a pressing need to strictly enforce all rules, regulations and guidelines under the Aircraft Act, 1934; the Aircraft Rules, 1937; DGCA directions; Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR); advisory circulars; and international conventions such as the Montreal Convention, 1999, which establishes a carrier's duty of care, the plea adds. On these grounds, the petitioner seeks interim reliefs, including the issuance of mandatory, time-bound guidelines for safety and operational checks; unannounced audits with public disclosure of findings; immediate grounding of any non-compliant aircraft until rectification and re-certification; and stringent enforcement of airworthiness norms across all airlines operating in India. (ANI)
