By Sabyasachi Roy Chowdhury
New Delhi, July 2, 2025: The fallout from the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash has now reached Parliament. In a strong move reflecting growing concern over aviation safety, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and top government officials to appear for a full-day review on July 9. The summons comes days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) flagged a series of alarming lapses鈥攔anging from poor crew coordination to maintenance and documentation failures鈥攄uring spot audits conducted after the crash. What Triggered This Scrutiny The spotlight turned harsh after an Air India Express flight crash-landed in Ahmedabad last week, killing several passengers and leaving others injured. Early reports pointed to a combination of cockpit confusion and delayed emergency response. In the days that followed, DGCA inspections across various airlines uncovered widespread safety shortfalls鈥攕ome of them basic, some serious. The findings were enough to rattle lawmakers. High-Stakes Meeting on July 9 According to an official letter from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the July 9 meeting will take place at the Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe. The day-long session will include: A presentation by DGCA on the current safety landscape Closed-door discussions with the Airports Authority of India, private airport operators like Adani and GVK, and Air Traffic Control Afternoon sessions with airline chiefs from Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Alliance Air The Ministry of Civil Aviation has been asked to come prepared with a detailed safety roadmap and coordination plan. Public Trust at Risk For many in Parliament, the issue isn鈥檛 just one crash鈥攊t鈥檚 the system-wide complacency that may have enabled it. One MP on the committee told us, 鈥淭he safety net has holes, and we need to know how deep the problem runs鈥攖his isn’t just about pilots or one airline. It鈥檚 about the ecosystem.鈥 Sources say Campbell Wilson and other airline leaders will face tough questions鈥攆rom crew training gaps to safety oversight failures鈥攁nd may be asked to submit corrective plans on the spot.