PIL wants Air India's Boeing jets grounded until checks

A Public Interest Petition (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking urgent directions for suspension of operations of all Boeing aircraft operated by Air India until a safety audit is carried out.

The plea has been moved in the wake of the recent crash of an Air India Boeing aircraft operating on the Ahmedabad-London route which killed 241 passengers and crew members onboard and 29 persons on the ground.

The petitioner, Advocate Ajay Bansal, has urged the top court to ensure passenger safety and statutory compliance with respect to Air India's operations. The plea states that Bansal and his wife travelled on Air India flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago on May 20. They were seated in the Business Class but found the seats non-functional, the in-flight entertainment system inoperative and the air-conditioning not working until cruising altitude.