Following the tragic plane crash incident in Ahmedabad, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court of India for immediate suspension of Air India’s Boeing fleet and urging for comprehensive safety audits to prevent further catastrophes.

The PIL was filed by Advocate Ajay Bansal, who cited various safety concerns, after his personal experience on an Air India flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago on 20th May, 2025. Although he and his wife were traveling in Business class, he witnessed an inoperative entertainment system, malfunctioning air-conditioning, along with faulty seating. While on the surface, these faults seem minor, in aviation such technical glitches can indicate deeper maintenance issues.

When a formal complaint was filed with the airline, they partly admitted to their fault and simply offered a small compensation of Rs. 10,000/-. This dull response further reinforced the concerns regarding the safety of the planes.

Mr. Bansal has also referred to various social media posts, incidents and complaints to draw attention to the severity of the matter, and to show that these are not merely mistakes or isolated incidents.

According to the plea, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) inspection report revealed that that Air India falsified internal safety audit records. Thirteen spot checks at major airports were fabricated, with no evidence of actual inspections, authorised signatures, or proper delegation. In some cases, auditors listed were actually travelling as passengers during the alleged checks. The DGCA had also flagged serious lapses, but still no corrective measures were taken.

The PIL seeks immediate grounding of all the unfit aircrafts, the formulation of new safety guidelines, and mandatory checks of airframe, engine and other parts of the aircraft. The plea has also sought for public disclosure of the audit reports and penal action for non-compliance.

The petition has also demanded that authorities be held accountable and calls for strict enforcement of the Aircraft Act, 1934, and the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

Source: News