PIL before Supreme Court seeks suspension of Air India Boeing fleet

A public interest petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking urgent directions for suspension of operations of all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India until a safety audit is completed..The plea has been moved in the wake of a recent crash of an Air India Boeing aircraft operating on the Ahmedabad - London route which killed 241 passengers and crew members on board and 29 persons on the ground. .The petitioner, Ajay Bansal, a practicing lawyer, has asked the Court to ensure passenger safety and statutory compliance with respect to Air India's operations..According to the petition, the petitioner and his wife travelled on Air India flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago on May 20, 2025. They were seated in Business Class but found the seats non-functional, the in-flight entertainment system inoperative and the air-conditioning not working until cruising altitude. .A complaint was formally lodged with Air India but the airline only admitted fault in part and offered a compensation of ₹10,000..The petition states that these service lapses are not isolated incidents. According to the petition, there are widespread reports and social media videos highlighting recurring malfunctions on Air India flights. The petitioner says the crash that occurred on June 12 has raised serious doubts about the airworthiness of the aircraft and the adequacy of maintenance checks..The petition also cites findings from a Directorate General of Civil Aviation inspection report which identified falsified internal safety audit records by Air India..Thirteen spot checks claimed to be conducted at major airports were found to be fabricated. The team found no record of actual inspections, no authorised signatures and no proper delegation of authority. In some cases, the auditors listed were found to be travelling as passengers at the time of the supposed checks.The plea states that despite being taken over by the Tata Group in 2022, the airline continues to suffer from lapses in safety and passenger service. As per the plea, even after DGCA flagged serious deficiencies, there was no effective corrective action. The petition calls for accountability from the authorities and enforcement of the Aircraft Act of 1934 and Aircraft Rules of 1937..The petitioner has prayed for immediate grounding of unfit aircraft, framing of fresh safety guidelines and mandatory periodic checks on cabin systems, airframes and engines. He has also asked the Court to direct public disclosure of safety audit findings and penal action for non-compliance.