The Unheeded Warnings: NGO Pushes for Supreme Court Probe into Air India Express Tragedy

Four years after the tragic Air India Express flight IX-1344 crash at Kerala's Karipur airport claimed 21 lives, including both pilots, a fervent plea for justice and accountability has reached the Supreme Court. The Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), a dedicated non-governmental organization, has filed a compelling Public Interest Litigation (PIL), demanding a meticulous, Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the catastrophe, asserting that the disaster was not merely an accident but a direct consequence of systemic negligence and overlooked safety warnings.

On that fateful day, August 7, 2020, the Boeing 737-800, arriving from Dubai as part of the Vande Bharat mission, overshot the tabletop runway 10 at Kozhikode, plunging into a gorge and breaking apart.

The incident left 165 passengers and crew members severely injured, forever scarring countless lives. The FAS's petition cuts deep, alleging that the very design, construction, and maintenance of the Karipur airport's runway, particularly the shockingly inadequate Runway End Safety Area (RESA), were inherently flawed and constituted a clear and present danger.

The PIL starkly highlights that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) were allegedly not just aware of these perilous conditions but had been repeatedly cautioned about them.

The petition underscores a troubling history of ignored warnings: numerous audits, expert opinions, and even previous incidents that should have served as urgent alarms. It paints a grim picture of official complacency, where critical safety enhancements were reportedly sidestepped or outright neglected.

A central tenet of the FAS's argument revolves around the inadequate length of Runway 10 and the absence of a proper RESA.

Aviation safety standards mandate a buffer zone at the end of runways to mitigate the impact of overruns. The PIL contends that Karipur's RESA was woefully short, a deficiency that was flagged multiple times by seasoned aviation experts, including Captain Amol Yadav, whose concerns about the lack of essential safety features were seemingly brushed aside.

The petition draws a chilling parallel to a 2017 incident where a SpiceJet plane overshot the very same runway, thankfully without fatalities.

This prior event, the FAS argues, should have been a pivotal moment for corrective action, yet the fundamental issues persisted, ultimately paving the way for the 2020 tragedy. The PIL insists that the Supreme Court must delve into the roles of all individuals and entities responsible for the design, construction, maintenance, and crucial oversight of the airport's infrastructure.

It seeks not just an inquiry but a definitive attribution of culpability.

Beyond demanding a thorough, SC-monitored probe, the Foundation for Aviation Safety's petition also seeks equitable and timely compensation for all victims and their families. More profoundly, it calls for the implementation of robust, non-negotiable safety measures across all Indian airports, particularly those with challenging tabletop runways.

This litigation is more than just a legal battle; it is a profound cry for systemic change, a demand that the lessons of past tragedies are finally learned, and that the lives of passengers and crew are unequivocally prioritized above all else.