A total of six engine shutdowns and three May Day calls were reported from commercial aircraft operating in Indian skies between January and July this year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, responding to a question raised by MP Rajeev Shukla, shared that one of the May Day alerts came from the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight that tragically crashed on June 12, killing 260 people.
The other two emergency calls were registered by Air India Express and IndiGo, the Minister noted, outlining a detailed incident breakdown across airlines: IndiGo reported two engine shutdowns and one May Day call, SpiceJet registered two shutdowns, Air India had one engine failure and one May Day call—tied to the fatal AI-171 crash—Air India Express reported one May Day incident, and Alliance Air also recorded a shutdown.
Mohol assured the House that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) continues to maintain a structured audit and surveillance framework to ensure the safety of airline operations. Any violation of norms invites enforcement action under its regulatory policy, he said.
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The Rajya Sabha was further informed that Air India, on July 26, disbursed interim compensation of ₹25 lakh each to the families of 147 out of the 229 passengers who perished in the AI-171 crash. This includes the kin of 19 people who were killed on the ground when the aircraft ploughed into a hostel block of B.J. Medical College.
The airline clarified that these interim payments would be adjusted against the final compensation, which would be calculated following further assessment. “Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn their loss and remain fully committed to providing support during this difficult time,” the airline stated.
Additionally, the airline confirmed that documentation for 52 more families had been verified, with their interim payments scheduled for staggered release.
Meanwhile, the Tata Group has announced the establishment of the AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust, pledging an ex-gratia amount of ₹1 crore per deceased passenger. The trust will also finance the rebuilding of the hostel block that suffered extensive damage during the crash.
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