Systemic Failures in Indian Aviation Safety: Beyond Pilot Error
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Governance (Regulatory Bodies - Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI)), Disaster Management (Swiss Cheese Model), Current Events.
Mains:
GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Role of civil services in a democracy (Accountability).
GS Paper 3: Infrastructure: Airports; Disaster and disaster management.
GS Paper 4 (Ethics): Accountability, conflict of interest, probity in governance.
Key Highlights from the News
The preliminary report on the Ahmedabad Air India crash on June 12, 2025, raises questions about the reliability of the Indian aviation sector.
Aviation accidents are not caused by a single factor but occur when multiple layers of safety systems fail simultaneously. This is called the Swiss cheese model.
The article argues that India lacks a genuine 'culture of safety', and safety is compromised in favor of profit.
Key institutions in the aviation sector such as DGCA (regulator), AAI (infrastructure), and airlines all shirk responsibility.
Unauthorized buildings (obstacles) around airports pose a major threat. Mumbai airport alone has thousands of illegal constructions around it.
Even new Greenfield airports like Navi Mumbai are starting operations with displaced thresholds, meaning the full runway length cannot be used due to obstacles.
Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) are forced to work without sufficient rest, and there is a shortage of staff in these positions.
There is a tendency to punish whistle-blowers who report safety lapses.
The article calls for more active judicial intervention to address these systemic problems.
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