The Air India Flight AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad highlights systemic legal and institutional vulnerabilities in India’s aviation framework. Author Poonam Verma Sengupta, a partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors, argues that India needs a dedicated aviation liability law embedding both civil and criminal accountability mechanisms. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) mandate is limited to identifying causes without assigning blame, creating a gap between technical findings and legal accountability. Compensation standards differ for domestic and international flights, and resource limitations hinder effective investigation. Suggested reforms include amending investigation rules, harmonizing compensation standards, creating a dedicated aviation liability forum, and allocating adequate funding to aviation safety bodies.
The article was authored by Poonam Verma Sengupta, Partner, published in The Hindu Business Line.
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Poonam has been actively involved in the disputes and corporate practice of the firm with primary focus in the Energy and Transportation Sector. For around two decades with the firm, Poonam has specialized in Power and Aviation Sectors.