In the aftermath of a major Air India crash in Ahmedabad that claimed more than 270 lives on June 12, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an interim suspension of the airline’s Boeing fleet.
Filed by Advocate Ajay Bansal, the PIL sought grounding of the entire Boeing fleet of Air India till they cleared a full safety audit within two weeks.
The petition claimed that the commercial flights operating in the country were not following the civil aviation regulations, as per the Aircraft Act and the Aircraft Rules.
Advocate Bansal, a practicing lawyer in the Apex Court, has made the Union government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), parties to the case.
The petitioner sought directions to the Centre to formulate fresh guidelines for Air India and other airlines, along with stringent & periodic checks of cabin equipment, engines, and airframes.
The plea further prayed for directions to the DGCA to conduct unannounced audits of the entire fleet of Air India and other airlines.
The petition recommended that the findings of the audits should be made public and penalties should be imposed for non-compliance with relevant rules.