The Supreme Court declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) requesting the constitution of a committee chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge to conduct an independent audit of Air India’s safety protocols and maintenance procedures. The Bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, questioned the selective nature of the plea, observing, “Why only Air India? What about others?” before rejecting it.
The petition, filed by Narendra Kumar Goswami, also sought a detailed inspection of Air India’s entire fleet by an international aviation safety authority. The Court, however, noted the absence of justification for restricting such an audit solely to one airline, particularly when similar concerns could apply across the aviation sector.
The matter arose alongside another pending petition before the Apex Court that seeks suspension of all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India until a comprehensive safety assessment is completed. That case stems from a recent tragic incident involving an Air India Boeing on the Ahmedabad, London route, in which 241 passengers and crew members on board, along with 29 individuals on the ground, lost their lives.
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