The government has reportedly begun holding direct meetings with Air India management amid mounting safety incidents. The discussions revolved around the incidents reported by Air India and Air India Express.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, the carrier has been ordered to maintain the highest safety standards while also setting a month-long timeline to reassess its operations. The first of these meetings was held on Wednesday after an Air India aircraft caught fire as it landed in Delhi from Hong Kong, a Kolkata-bound aborted takeoff due to technical issues, and a Kochi-Mumbai flight veered off the runway during landing.
The airline gave a detailed explanation of their efforts to maintain safety, the report added. The discussions are expected to focus on reviewing recent incidents as well as discussing fleet maintenance protocols.
“The government is expected to emphasise preventive measures and enforce strict adherence to safety and maintenance standards,” said an official, as mentioned in the report.
The meetings involve airline executives as well as senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The government’s intervention comes amid growing concerns over passenger safety following the crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, which claimed 260 lives. A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) identified that fuel control switches were set to cutoff during takeoff as the main cause of the crash. The investigation is now focused on understanding why and by whom the switches were flipped.
Since the crash, at least 15 other serious incidents have been reported, including aborted take-offs, emergency returns, runway excursions, and auxiliary power unit fires.
Following the AAIB report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered Air India to inspect the fuel control switch locking mechanisms on all Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft by July 22. Air India completed these inspections within the deadline and reported no issues with the locking mechanisms. The airline stated that voluntary inspections began on July 12 and were finished within the DGCA’s prescribed timeframe, and this has been communicated to the regulator.
