“Why Only Air India?” — SC Throws Out Safety Audit Petition
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought the formation of a committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to conduct an independent audit of Air India’s safety and maintenance systems.
A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned why the plea targeted only one airline. “Why only Air India? What about others?” the Court asked, before dismissing the petition.
The PIL, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, had also asked for Air India’s entire fleet to be inspected by an international aviation safety authority. However, the Court noted that there was no valid reason to single out Air India when safety concerns could exist across the aviation industry.
This matter comes alongside another ongoing case in the Supreme Court seeking suspension of all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India until a complete safety check is done. That petition was filed after a tragic accident on the Ahmedabad–London route, in which an Air India Boeing crash claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 29 people on the ground.
