Flight AI 171 was taking off and in just under two minutes came crashing back on ground! Looks like a case of a pack of cards! Unbelievable and a narrative more befitting a horror novel. A terrible loss of 241 precious lives, plus another 20 plus on the ground, as collateral damage to a crash from an airport which has remained stuck within the centre of Ahmedabad city, even as the state has witnessed a huge growth in aviation numbers over recent years, over decades – resulting in an airport facility which has human settlements all around it. But that’s another aspect of the story, even though disturbing in itself.
One of the best machines in the air, just 11 years old, should have been in decent health, as far as safety is concerned, never mind if a video (seen from one of the seats from an earlier leg of the flight) may not have been working or if a handset was not working or the oven which heats the food was not working; though they should, but these would not be life threatening.
There are theories and theories, to each his own. Even among the specialists, there are different guesses at work. There are no clear answers yet, which will hopefully emerge once the black box has been decoded.
What is worrisome is the issues the tragedy has raised with regard to overall safety and security, and if we are making compromises as we walk the ambitious growth curve? Are we growing faster than we can manage? There are the growing millions of travelers, the demand is there. They need more planes to fly them, on new routes, giving them a new connectivity that will propel the nation’s economy. Are we short circuiting the regulations? Tweaking rules to cope with growth? For instance, there is this present regulation which allows one captain and one flying officer on long-haul flights. One understands globally it’s two captains and a flying officer. This was done away with, a few years back on the recommendation of the airlines and the regulator agreed. Are we over-looking basics, deciding what truly matters and what does not?
Yes, such instances have yet not become the norm. But they would, if not checked in time.
Having said that, all things considered, was human error that was responsible for the air crash, a failure in the maintenance standards, a failure of Boeing 787 as a machine, as some reports are coming out of the US suggesting there have been concerns from ex-Boeing employees. Could it have been anything like malfunctioning to do with aviation fuel, electrical equipment, whatever? All this will come out in good time.
But allow us to suggest this is an important time for Indian aviation to rally forth and bring back the confidence in its growth that the nation truly deserves. Not with any panic, but yes, it is definitely the right time to wake up and smell the coffee. The big question is, are we growing at a speed at which we are challenged to manage? Yes, we are inducting all these hundreds of aircrafts. We are the world’s largest order giver for aircrafts to Boeing and Airbus globally at this point in time. The fastest growing aviation market in the world. Growing multiple airports, and a most successful Udaan scheme, but how are things at the backend – that is the question. At least in homage to the 241 plus 20 people who lost their lives, in homage to their loss, we would have done well if we can actually analyze thread bare – are we spending enough resources on training, creating systems that eliminate error. Is that quality of training as exhaustive as it was, say 10 years ago or 5 years ago?
To many as customers, as flyers, it is the confidence of the crew in the manner that they conduct themselves, in the manner that they make the inflight announcements – how composed and sure they are in the discharge of service and their demeanor. Is this the same as it was five years ago?
These answers are best left to our readers and fellow travelers.
A related question that emerges is the dire need to have an independent auditor, a regulator, for the entire eco-system. This has been a subject of concern and discussion over a period of time. It hasn’t happened all this while. We need an independent regulator, a big upgrade on the present DGCA, but not as a government organization. The regulator should have no interference from anyone at all. Now that may be a big ask to make in today’s times, but it is just precisely that the nation needs.
Independent of influence from industry, independent from influences from the government, independent from influences from manufacturers who have the biggest stake in supplying those aircrafts and trying to make sure the truth doesn’t come out, if they have fallen short. In all this scenario, an independent regulator is what we need to safeguard the future of Indian aviation. And the quicker we do this, the better it will be.
The creation of this singular body in itself would be one big step to say we grieve over your loss to the families of the departed. We pay homage to them and we learn from this experience of losing them. That’s the least we can do. And the quicker we do, the better it would be for Indian aviation.
In its growth curve at the moment, the biggest concern should be safety and security. This alone would be for the well-being of the sector. If we want to grow at the speed at which we want to grow, then security and safety come paramount, even more than growth in numbers.
