Gujarat plane crash: From Canada, Israel to UK, condolences pour in from global leaders

Condolences are pouring in from across the world after a London-bound Air India aircraft carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, crashed near Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat on Thursday. President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, extended his condolences and said that Maldives stands in solidarity with India during this difficult time.
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The Print

2 hours ago

• The Print

Carney is repairing what Trudeau left damaged. India and Canada are now on a path to reset ties

In his first few weeks at the helm of affairs, Prime Minister Mark Carney has seemingly been able to reset ties with New Delhi, which had been downgraded with the expulsion and withdrawal of respective High Commissioners around eight months ago. And that is why the reset of India-Canada ties is ThePrint Newsmaker of the Week. After the high of 2015, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was feted by his then-Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper, the relationship completely unravelled under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who sought his 15 seconds of fame by cratering ties with India to protect his own government in September 2023, undoing over two decades of careful diplomacy. New Delhi: The Carney-Modi meet earlier this week signalled a rapprochement between India and Canada, two countries inextricably linked due to the large Indian community in Canada. Also read: India-Canada diplomatic detente, and probe into Air India crash focuses on emergency power generator Snapping of India-Canada relationship Carney's victory in the April federal elections led to the view in New Delhi that a rapprochement is on the cards, with the appointment of High Commissioners, the logical first step. During election season, Carney referred to Canada's relationship with India as 'incredibly important' while deflecting any questions regarding the major irritant in ties — the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, an India-designated terrorist, was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on 18 June 2023. Trudeau, three months after the killing, informed the House of Commons that Ottawa was investigating 'credible allegations' that linked Indian officials to the killing of Nijjar. New Delhi called these allegations 'absurd and motivated'. There was no off-ramp for either New Delhi or Ottawa to de-escalate the diplomatic tension, especially as Trudeau's domestic struggles by then were an instrument of foreign policy. By October 2024, ties had effectively been snapped, with India expelling six Canadian diplomats, while withdrawing its High Commissioner and five other diplomats from Canada. Trudeau's minority government, being propped up by the New Democratic Party (NDP), supported Sikh separatists to wield large influence on Ottawa's foreign policy vis-a-vis its ties with India. The NDP at the time was led by Jagmeet Singh, who had in the past indicated support for Sikh separatism. In 2017, he had refused to link Sikh extremists to the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, which left 329 people dead. For New Delhi, these separatists being given space in Canada to promote and fundraise their anti-India plank had real security ramifications – concerns that Ottawa ignored. Carney's approach to this has been to leave the matter of Nijjar's killing and associated irritants to the law enforcement agencies of the two countries, a measure welcomed by New Delhi. Modi's dash to Alberta further indicated the interest in both India and Canada to reset ties in an increasingly unstable world. With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, and the collapse of the NDP, ties between India and Canada were finally given the space for a reset. Also read: Collapse of Jagmeet Singh-led NDP & the waning political clout of Sikh separatists in Canada Trump and the waning star of Sikh separatists Trump's return upended the politics of Canada. For Canadians, the rupture in ties with the US, which accounts for over 70 per cent of Canada's trade, became an existential crisis. If elections were to be held in January 2025, the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre was set to win a large majority, while the Liberal Party led by Trudeau would have potentially collapsed to its lows of 2011. However, Trudeau's resignation and Carney's rise gave the Liberals, which has governed Canada for large parts of the 20th century, a chance to rise in the polls. The question at the time was no longer just the domestic situation in Canada — the affordability crisis or immigration — but rather who would be the better candidate to handle Trump. Poilievre, who ran a Trump-esque campaign, saw his favourability drop in the polls. The Liberals rose, while the NDP support collapsed. With the Liberals winning a large number of seats, a few short of the majority, it meant they no longer had to rely on the NDP to govern the country. From 24 seats in the House of Commons, the NDP fell to 7, which helped stem the power of Sikh separatist groups in the Canadian parliament. The Conservative Party, looking to build a big tent, had sought votes from the Sikh separatists as well. But it seems all that was for nought. In this scenario, Carney, who was elevated to a saviour-like status, has been able to make a break from having domestic vote banks influence foreign policy. For Canada, the need of the hour is to diversify itself from the US. Carney, earlier this month, announced his intention to boost Canada's defence spending, while promising to reduce Ottawa's strategic dependence on the US. The two factors – the collapse of the Sikh separatist leaning parties and the return of Trump – has led to a retooling in Ottawa's approach to New Delhi. The current Liberal cabinet has a number of faces from Trudeau's government. Melanie Joly, who as foreign minister under Trudeau led the charge against India, retains her government role under Carney. Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister in the previous government, has returned with an important role in Carney's cabinet. However, despite continuity in members, Carney has been able to stamp his authority on foreign policy, with Anita Anand appointed as the new foreign minister, who spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar within days of her appointment. The challenges Ottawa faces has allowed it to approach New Delhi more effectively, and return a sense of maturity to India-Canada ties. However, as politics is never static, the Sikh separatists may rise again in Canadian politics, but maybe at least this time, the irritants would be dealt with at the appropriate levels, without the need for political brinkmanship from either administration. Views are personal. (Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)

Hans India

3 hours ago

• Hans India

Cabin crew sacking: Trouble brews for Air India amid CBI probe demand

New Delhi: Air India, currently reeling under the devastating AI 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash that killed at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, on Friday faced more heat as the Aviation Industry Employees' Guild (AIEG) demanded a CBI probe into the sacking of two cabin crew members by the airline for reporting a technical fault in the aircraft last year. AIEG General Secretary, George Abraham, told IANS that they have demanded a CBI probe into the sacking of two cabin crew members, as this move, after pressure on them by Air India to change their statements after reporting a technical fault in the Dreamliner 787 aircraft, is a very serious matter. "This poses a threat to the safety of the aviation sector. We have also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a fair probe into the matter," Abraham said. He further stated that on May 14, 2024, after the Air India flight from Mumbai to London reached its destination, the slide rafts opened in manual mode due to a technical fault in the door of the aircraft. According to Abraham, the slide rafts are activated only when the plane is in automatic mode. The pilot and the entire cabin crew had also admitted the technical fault in the plane in their initial statements, but due to alleged pressure from the airline's management, the statement was later changed. Abraham said that to suppress the technical fault in the plane, the Air India management allegedly pressured these people to change their statement, and when they refused, both these crew members were fired from their jobs. Speaking to IANS, Abraham further said that due to the seriousness of the matter, both these crew complained about the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the regulator called them to Delhi and heard the whole matter and talked about conducting an "informal investigation". However, eight months have passed, but no result of the "informal investigation" has come out, he noted. According to Abraham, after the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, the attention of the government and the people is back on this issue. "This is why we have raised it once again and written a letter to PM Modi. We hope that this investigation will be expedited," he said. In a statement to IANS, the airline on Friday said that the "said cabin crew members were terminated for their misconduct and behaviour and continuing to falsify critical information during the course of an investigation". "The said investigation was launched after an emergency slide was activated while opening the aircraft door post landing," said Air India. Slide rafts deploy when a door is opened in "armed" or "automatic mode". The crew alleged the Dreamliner's door had malfunctioned as the slide raft deployed, though the door was opened in the "manual mode". The incident is reported to have occurred on May 14 last year, after the Mumbai-London flight AI-129 docked at Heathrow airport and the passengers disembarked. The two former senior cabin crew members have written to PM Modi, alleging they were wrongfully terminated last year after raising an alarm over technical issues in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Time of India

10 hours ago

• Time of India

EXPANSION ON, ISSUES REMAIN

On May 24, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced an ambitious plan to boost Odisha's urbanisation rate from the current 17% to 40% by 2036 and 60% by 2047. The announcement, made during the 10th governing council meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, detailed the govt's urbanisation plan which includes developing a massive 7,000sqkm metropolitan region – comparable to the size of the Hyderabad Metropolitan region – encompassing Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Jatni, Cuttack, Paradip and Puri. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When it comes to urbanisation, of all the infrastructural facilities that require attention and expansion, an airport is one of most important structures that plays a key role. And in the aftermath of the plane crash in Ahmedabad airport last week, focus on aviation-related infrastructural facilities has become paramount. "The existing airport in Bhubaneswar, despite recent upgrades, is approaching saturation, struggling to accommodate growing passenger traffic and bigger aircraft and large cargo operations. The proposed metropolitan area's economic potential, coupled with increasing tourism and business activities, demands a new and strategically located airport outside Bhubaneswar," former Air India pilot and BJD leader Manmath Routray said. The state budget in Feb had proposed to establish a greenfield airport in Paradip to accelerate growth in industry and to further expand the aviation map across industrial clusters in coastal areas. A greenfield airport in Puri has also been planned. The previous BJD govt had planned the Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri. As per the plan, considering Bhubaneswar's saturation, Puri was planned to become fully an international airport and Bhubaneswar fully domestic. Recently Majhi also discussed expediting work on the proposed airport in Puri and upgrading the existing one in Rourkela. Routray added that a new airport would not only decongest the existing facility but also catalyse economic growth across the planned metropolitan region. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It would enhance connectivity, boost tourism, and support the region's industrial development. "The project aligns with Odisha's vision of becoming an economic powerhouse in eastern India," he said. The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) operates over 100 flights daily on an average and more than 35,000 flights annually. In 2013, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had planned a comprehensive expansion plan requiring 64 acres of additional land. The primary objective was to extend the runway from 9,000ft to 10,500ft, which would have enabled the airport to accommodate bigger aircraft like Boeing 777, 787 and 747, along with special cargo planes. Despite multiple negotiations spanning several years, the state govt's offer in March 2017 fell short of the requirement. It proposed allocating only 47 acres of land, currently under the control of Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT), against the required 64 acres. This land shortage then prompted AAI to reconsider its expansion strategy. Airport authorities have indicated that the existing runway is sufficient for current commercial operations, leading the AAI to shift its focus towards improving infrastructure and passenger services instead. "To expand the existing runway from 2274 meters to over 3000 meters, we need land in length and not in width. We can get 47 acres from OUAT but require another 17 acres that need to be acquired by displacing a part of Baramunda village," BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan said. But even if a new airport comes up, there will be mushrooming of houses and towers and other structures - which may pose a threat to aircraft - around it. "Expanding an airport or constructing a new one will boost growth and that will also lead to growth in other sectors, like real estate for instance. In case of Delhi's IGI airport as well, there are residential areas along Dwarka and Vasant Kunj end. Even the airport in Bengaluru, which is situated around 40 km from the township, now has houses coming up near it," hotelier Debashis Patnaik said. While the runway expansion plan is facing a dead end for now, BPIA is set to get a third terminal to enhance domestic operations. The proposed terminal (T3), to be constructed over a 30,000 square metre area, may pave the way for segregated handling of arrivals and departures. Currently, BPIA operates with two terminals - T1 for domestic flights and T2 for international operations.