At a meeting of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held on Tuesday, Members of Parliament raised serious concerns regarding air safety and the steep rise in airfares following the Pahalgam terror attack. The meeting, attended by officials from key aviation bodies and airline representatives, focused on the broader issue of regulating tariffs and user charges on public infrastructure, including aviation.
PAC members sought clarifications from Air India officials regarding the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, in Ahmedabad on June 12. The aircraft, which was en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, striking a hostel building of BJ Medical College. Of the 242 passengers on board, 241 were killed in the incident, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
In response, representatives from Air India told the panel that, with more than 1,100 units operating in different nations, the Dreamliner is regarded as one of the safest aircraft in the world. They assured the committee that strict safety regulations are still followed by Air India and other airlines. Senior representatives from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Ministry of Civil Aviation attended the meeting. Representatives from airline companies and airport operators also participated in the session. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson was among the senior airline executives present.
Also Read: AI 171 crash: Air India denies forcing kin to prove dependency
Several MPs voiced concern over the spike in airfares, especially from Srinagar and during major events such as the Pahalgam Yatra and the upcoming Maha Kumbh. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal noted that airlines had assured efforts to address concerns over surge pricing and discussed the importance of developing the Buddhist Circuit as an interconnected aviation route. Congress MP and PAC Chairperson KC Venugopal emphasised the need for “clear-cut regulations on fares” and confirmed that both the DGCA and airline operators were instructed to ensure pricing transparency and affordability for passengers.
After the meeting, NCP MP and former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told the media that Indian aviation safety is not a cause for alarm. While applauding the DGCA's regulatory function, he emphasised the pressing need to solve the aviation watchdog's skilled workforce shortage. “Indian aviation is safe. All airlines follow protocols. However, DGCA is facing a shortage of top-level skilled manpower. Retired experts can be brought back temporarily to ensure continued compliance with safety norms,” Patel said.
Also Read: PAC to review Air India AL-171 crash; aviation officials called
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted a preliminary report on the Ahmedabad crash to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other authorities. Sources revealed that the crash protection module (CPM) from one of the black boxes was retrieved and successfully decoded at the AAIB Lab in Delhi on June 25 using a reference unit known as the "golden chassis."
This marks the first time India has domestically decoded black box data. Experts from the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and experts in aviation medicine and air traffic control are all part of the ongoing investigation, which is being led by the AAIB Director General. It is anticipated that the black box data will be crucial in determining the crash's cause and guiding future safety protocols.
Also Read: Air India crash: Preliminary report submitted to Centre
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