Let us learn lessons as well
On June 12 last year the entire country witnessed the horrific and tragic crash of an Air India flight in Ahmadabad that left 241 people dead. Families lost loved ones and what remained is a scar that will haunt them lifelong.
Twelve months later, the grief remains fresh for those directly affected. For the rest of us, the test is simpler: did we learn enough to make the next flight safer?
Every air accident is a system failure, not just a pilot error or a faulty part. Preliminary reports after Ahmedabad pointed to a chain of issues. Weather challenges during monsoon, heavy traffic on a single-runway airport, and communication gaps between air traffic control and the crew all played a role. The aircraft was certified, the pilots were experienced, and yet lives were lost. That is the most uncomfortable truth in aviation safety.
Ahmedabad crash also reminded us how quickly a crash becomes a city-wide emergency. Runway overruns and post-impact fires test firefighting, medical response, and crowd control at once. Videos from last year showed how fast local residents rushed to help, often without gear or training. Their courage saved lives, but it also showed that our airport emergency plans assume help arrives in an orderly way. In real disasters, chaos comes first.
To the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s credit, some steps were taken fast. Audits of runway safety areas at major airports were completed. Monsoon SOPs for low visibility and crosswind landings were reviewed with airlines. The Airports Authority of India began work on rapid response firefighting equipment upgrades at Ahmedabad and other high-traffic airports.
Air India itself expanded simulator training for go-around decisions in poor weather. These are necessary moves. But safety is not measured by circulars issued. It is measured by what does not happen next. The real question is whether the deeper lessons have sunk in across the system.
Notably, India now has one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. Growth brings new airports, new carriers, and new pilots. The DGCA and airlines collect vast flight data every day. That data must be used to spot trends before they become incidents. If unstable approaches are rising at a particular airport during rain, the fix should come before an accident, not after.
The greatest risk after a crash is complacency. News cycles move on. Compensation is paid. Inquiries close. But families mark anniversaries, not file numbers. If we treat June 12 as just another date, we dishonor those who died.
India wants to be a global aviation hub. That ambition demands global safety standards. It means investing in longer runways where terrain allows, better approach lighting, and real-time weather dissemination to cockpits. It means airlines refusing to stretch crew duty limits during weather disruptions.
It means passengers accepting delays when safety demands it. One year later, Ahmedabad should not be remembered only for loss. It should be remembered as the day Indian aviation chose to be safer, slower when needed, and honest about risk. We owe the victims that much. And we owe the next flight that commitment. The lesson is clear. We learn it only if the next monsoon landing in Ahmedabad and elsewhere is safer than the last.
Mere statements and circulars may be a routine but the need to walk an extra mile is severe because in such sectors lives are involved and those lives need to be protected and safeguarded from any harm.
