Air India has received nine show cause notices over five safety violations in the past six months, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. While enforcement action has been concluded in one of the cases, investigations or proceedings in the remaining violations are still underway.
Responding to a set of queries raised by CPM MP John Brittas, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that no negative trends were observed in Air India's reliability reports related to crashes during the last six months. However, he acknowledged that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had flagged five safety-related issues, leading to the issuance of nine notices to the airline.
"Enforcement action has been completed in respect of one violation," Mohol confirmed, without disclosing the nature of the infractions or the penalties imposed.
The airline has been under intense scrutiny following last month's tragic Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad. The aircraft, flying from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff, resulting in the death of 260 people and injuring 81 others. Among the 241 passengers and crew on board, only one survived, with the rest of the fatalities occurring on the ground.
The catastrophic crash has intensified calls for greater regulatory oversight and accountability in India’s aviation sector, particularly for legacy carriers like Air India. The Ministry’s disclosure in Parliament raises fresh concerns over operational safety and compliance standards within the airline.
Further details on the nature of the violations and any additional enforcement measures are awaited.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)