A parliamentary panel meeting that was scheduled to discuss “levy charges at airports” saw intense discussions about the Air India crash incident in Ahmedabad, which left 260 dead. At the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), MPs asked aviation officials pointed questions about safety and sought an audit by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), sources said.
The meeting was attended by top officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the BCAS.
Air India CEO Wilson Campbell and top officials from IndiGo and Akasa Air, as well as industry stakeholders were also present.
BLACK BOX, CRASH COMMITTEE PROBE
At the meeting, the MPs sought clarity on the timeframe for the analysis of the aircraft’s black box, which will provide an in-depth insight into what led to the crash.
On June 12, the London-bound Air India flight (AI 171) crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building in Ahmedabad within seconds of take-off. The tragedy left 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board and 19 others on the ground, dead.
The MPs also sought details on the selection criteria of the crash probe committee and asked whether any foreign aviation experts had been consulted or had volunteered to assist in the investigation.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is probing the horrific crash, submitted its preliminary findings to the MoCA on Tuesday.
Concerns were also raised about the “high-handed behaviour” of private airlines, with calls for tighter oversight, sources said.
The MPs also flagged several incidents of safety lapses in May and June. In the past two months, several instances of flights being cancelled or diverted due to technical malfunction have been reported.
SURGE IN AIR FARES
The MPs also expressed displeasure over the functioning of the DGCA, which is tasked with ensuring compliance of airlines with aviation standards.
In March, a Parliament committee report said the allocation to the DGCA, which commands nearly half of the total aviation budget, must be carefully examined to ensure “efficiency and accountability”.
The MPs also expressed their discontent over the surge in air fares from Srinagar after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which left 25 tourists dead.
Within hours of the attack, ticket prices for flights out of Srinagar – especially to Delhi and other metros – spiked dramatically. Ticket prices for an economy seat from Srinagar to Delhi reportedly surged to Rs 65,000, up from the usual Rs 7,000-8,000.
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