Editorial: Air crash and aviation safety

Every major air crash is a grim reminder that complex systems are not infallible – at least, not all the time. In the coming days, investigators will be examining and scrutinising every detail to identify the cause of the catastrophic incident in which an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down in Ahmedabad. According to media reports, an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team located the black box, which records crucial flight data and cockpit audio and is critical to determining the cause of the devastating crash that killed at least 245 persons, including passengers and crew, besides a few others on the ground.

The Director General of Civil Aviation’s latest directives regarding additional maintenance and safety checks for the Boeing Dreamliner fleet would help instil some much-needed confidence and trust among passengers, which has been shaken by the incident in which the airliner crashed within a minute of its taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The DGCA’s instructions relate to critical systems such as engine, fuel, power and electronic systems. It would not be appropriate to read between the lines or try to link the instructions with the cause of the crash.

The leading global aerospace company Boeing will have to battle a gnawing credibility problem in recent years, which is now gathering momentum with the Ahmedabad crash of its wide-bodied, long-haul aeroplane. Though the Dreamliner fleet had an impressive safety record of having carried over a billion passengers without a single major crash prior to the accident of Air India’s Gatwick-bound plane, the 787 family did have its share of operational and battery problems. There were unsavoury whistle-blower allegations and US Federal Aviation Administration investigations denting its safety claims. Boeing needs to prioritise safety over myopic financial decisions to win over the airlines and the public.

The distressing visuals and heartbreaking reports of the crash are bound to deepen the anxieties of air passengers regarding safety. However, studies have shown that air travel is as safe as it can be.

According to experts, the death risk per air passenger is as low as one in 100 million. Secondly, there has been a decline in the rate of accidents. According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a specialised UN agency, there has been a drop in both the fatality and accident rates in 2023. The ICAO's 2024 Safety Report revealed that the number of passengers killed decreased to 17 people per billion passengers, and the rate of accident rate down to 1.87 accidents per million departures. As a result, global passenger traffic surged to 4.2 billion.

But the stakeholders – be it manufacturers, airlines, airport authorities, and aviation regulators – cannot rest on their laurels. India’s ongoing National Aviation Safety Plan (NASP) 2024-28, if implemented rigorously, is sure to yield results. Achieving an impeccable safety record demands the implementation of a robust safety management system. Secondly, the lackadaisical attitude and approach to safety, trying to cut corners, and the so-called “jugaad” culture can be particularly hazardous in the aviation industry, where even a seemingly insignificant lapse would result in the loss of millions of dollars and many precious lives. Making skies safer and achieving zero fatalities cannot be a rushed and hasty affair, which Indians and their systems are characteristically prone to. Inculcating values relating to quality, safety and excellence can be more challenging than building a spectacular and swanky airport.