SC Rejects PIL Seeking Independent Safety Audit Of Airline
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea for the constitution of a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to audit Air India’s safety practices and maintenance procedures independently.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi questioned the petitioner why he was singling out Air India.
“Why just Air India? What about others?” they asked while rejecting the petition.
That plea was filed in the wake of a recent crash of an Air India Boeing aircraft operating on the Ahmedabad – London route, which claimed 270 lives.
The PIL was filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami and Laxman Prasad Goswami seeking an independent probe by a retired judge of the Supreme Court into Air India’s safety practices, maintenance procedures, and operational protocols.
The petition also asked for a comprehensive safety audit of Air India’s entire fleet by an international aviation safety agency accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), addressing deficiencies identified in the 2024 ICAO audit report.
It further sought a time-bound report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) regarding the Ahmedabad plane crash. (ANI)
