After Deadly Dreamliner Crash, Air India Faces Multiple Safety Breach Notices

The Civil Aviation Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha that Air India has received nine show cause notices over the past six months in connection with five distinct safety violations. This disclosure comes amid heightened scrutiny of the airline following last month's Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives and left 81 injured.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, stated that while there has been no adverse trend in Air India's crash reliability reports during this period, enforcement action has been taken in one of the violations. However, Mohol did not share specific details regarding the nature of these violations. The statement was made in response to questions from CPM MP John Brittas.

Air India came into sharp focus after a tragic crash involving one of its Boeing Dreamliners on a flight from Ahmedabad to London. Of the 241 passengers onboard, only one survived, while the majority of fatalities occurred on the ground when the aircraft slammed into a medical college hostel.

In the aftermath, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered comprehensive inspections of Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet. Out of the airline's 33 Boeing Dreamliners, 31 were operational and underwent inspection. Minor issues were found in eight of those, which were subsequently resolved before returning the aircraft to service. The remaining two planes are currently undergoing scheduled maintenance.

In a separate written reply to BJP MP Ashokrao Shankarrao Chavan, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu confirmed these inspection results. Responding to a query from DMK leader Kanimozhi regarding potential sabotage in the Ahmedabad crash, Minister Mohol noted that all possibilities are being thoroughly investigated.

The DGCA has conducted 254 enforcement actions as of April this year. This compares to 673 such actions in 2024 and 542 in 2023. These enforcement steps can include warnings, suspension, cancellation of licenses, or financial penalties.

(With inputs from PTI)