Raghav Chadha urges Parliament to address aircraft safety concerns

Raghav Chadha: The monsoon session of Parliament has started today. On the very first day, there was a lot of uproar in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over Operation Sindoor and the Ahmedabad plane crash. Aam Aadmi Party MP and senior leader Raghav Chadha raised the issue of aircraft safety in the Rajya Sabha and asked serious questions. Raghav Chadha posted on X and wrote, today an important issue related to aircraft safety was raised in Parliament.

India's civil aviation sector is growing rapidly, but its regulator is weakening under pressure. Raising questions on the vacant posts, Raghav Chadha wrote, DGCA is understaffed, underfunded and lacks the autonomy it desperately needs. Today, 55% of its technical posts are vacant and these are not just numbers on paper. These are the roles responsible for:

•Air safety inspection •Pilot licensing •Aircraft maintenance •Airworthiness certification

This is not a shortage, but a crisis. In the sky, there is no room for error. Make DGCA autonomous like SEBI and TRAI. Because safety cannot be optional.

After the Ahmedabad plane crash, many questions are being raised on the aviation sector and air safety. Let us tell you, on June 12, Air India's Boeing plane crashed at Ahmedabad airport. Immediately after take off, within a few seconds, the plane fell on a nearby building. 260 people lost their lives in this accident and only one person survived. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also died in this horrific accident.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating this accident. The preliminary report of AAIB revealed that both the engines had stopped after take off, after which the pilot made a mayday call. But after a few seconds the plane crashed on the college building. At present, further investigation of AAIB is going on.