Systemic Issues in India's Aviation Sector
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary report on the Air India Boeing 787 air crash in Ahmedabad, released on July 12, 2025, highlights numerous systemic issues plaguing India's aviation sector. The report remains inconclusive, casting doubts on whether pilot action was inadvertent or deliberate, and reflects a broader mistrust within the aviation community towards the investigation process.
Need for Reform
- Culture of Safety: A genuine 'culture of safety' is needed, emphasizing fair employment terms and access to mental health care for aircrew without punitive consequences.
- Judiciary and Accountability: Judicial interventions have previously saved lives by addressing regulatory failures, exemplified by the 2018 Ghatkopar crash.
- Regulatory Challenges: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have failed to adequately enforce safety standards, allowing regulatory opacity and misrepresentation to persist.
Obstacles and Regulatory Failures
- The rise in vertical obstructions around Mumbai’s airspace, despite existing Inner Horizontal Surface (IHS) criteria, points to a systemic regulatory failure.
- The formation of a non-statutory committee in 2008 bypassed legal safeguards, approving construction of buildings that violate safety norms.
- Obstacles interfere with radar and communication signals, and the appellate committee's guidelines have been ineffectively implemented.
Aviation System Components
- Aircraft Maintenance: Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) face high stress with no duty time limits, while airlines delegate tasks to less-qualified technicians.
- Flight Crew: Airlines violate Flight Time Duty Limitations for pilots, with the DGCA granting exemptions contributing to fatigue and safety risks.
- Air Traffic Management: AAI’s shortage of Air Traffic Controller Officers (ATCO) and the lack of duty-time limitations exacerbate safety concerns.
- Whistle-blower Silencing: Whistle-blowers are often punished, deterring the reporting of safety issues.
Conclusion
The aviation system in India is marred by systemic neglect and policy violations, leading to recurrent crashes that are not mere accidents but predictable outcomes. Without immediate reform, these issues will continue to threaten lives. The judiciary must play a more active role in enforcing accountability and safety standards, and a reevaluation of the value placed on human life is essential to drive necessary changes.