There’s growing paranoia about air travel, government should strengthen air safety on ground, rebuild public trust, Congress leader says

Lok Sabha MP K.C. Venugopal said There is growing paranoia among air travellers after the Ahmedabad crash, and the government needs to reassure the public by strengthening aviation safety. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

There is growing paranoia among air travellers after the Ahmedabad crash, and the government needs to reassure the public by strengthening aviation safety, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha K.C. Venugopal said on Wednesday (June 18, 2025).

In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Venugopal said the recent air accidents were “not isolated incidents but signs of systemic stress within our aviation sector”.

“We have not yet recovered from the horror of the Ahmedabad flight crash, one of the most tragic aviation disasters in recent memory. In the days that followed, concerns have only deepened with reports of technical glitches, emergency landings, flight cancellations, and repeated helicopter accidents, especially along high-risk pilgrimage routes. There’s a growing paranoia in the minds of air travellers,” Mr. Venugopal, the Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation, said.

Issues of maintenance, regulatory oversight, operational preparedness, and communication protocols were now under intense public scrutiny, the Congress leader said.

“The need for robust safety mechanisms and transparent accountability in the aviation sector has never been greater. These incidents raise important questions: Are existing safety standards adequate? Are we doing enough to prevent accidents before they occur? Who will fix responsibility and ensure that safety isn’t compromised in the race for growth? It is vital that the government, regulators, and airline operators treat this as an inflection point, to reassure the public, rebuild trust, and strengthen aviation safety from the ground up,” Mr. Venugopal said.

In a related development, former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel questioned the “silence” of Singapore Airlines over the horrific crash of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

Singapore Airlines has a 25.1% stake in Tata Group-run Air India, and holds a position on the airline’s board.

Shortly thereafter, Singapore Airlines issued a statement saying it was in “close contact” with Tata Sons and continued to “offer full support and all necessary assistance”.

“Why are you paying lip service today so late? And a part owner of 25.1% with board representation and the CEO being your nominee says that owners Tata Sons [are] being offered all assistance?” Mr. Patel said in a subsequent social media post.

Published - June 18, 2025 10:13 pm IST