NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a petition demanding a safety audit of Air India’s fleet after the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, saying it was unfair to single out one airline.
The plea, filed by advocate N K Goswami and AI-143 passenger L P Goswami, cited multiple Air India incidents and alleged “systemic safety lapses and deliberate negligence.” The petitioners sought a writ of mandamus for corrective measures.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked, “Why only Air India? Why not all airlines?” and warned against giving the impression of acting for a rival carrier. The court advised that if the concern was genuine, the petition should cover all domestic and international airlines.
L P Goswami, a scientist from Mathura, said his June 7 Delhi–Paris flight experienced an electrical fire, forcing an emergency landing at Sharjah and leaving passengers stranded for 16 hours.
