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India Today
15 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Disaster after disaster: Who is accountable?
It was meant to be a week when the Narendra Modi-led NDA government would celebrate its 11th year in power with the signature 'band, baaja, baraat' media hype that has been its forte. And yet, for once, even the astute headline management skills of the government's cheerleaders couldn't detract from the awfulness of the breaking news in the second week of June: at least 270 people died in the worst civil aviation disaster in this country since two planes collided mid-air in 1996. That the Air India flight 171 crashed just outside Ahmedabad in Gujarat, the home state of the government's Big Two, perhaps makes the tragedy even more poignant. Far from celebrating a political party milestone, the nation was united in it is premature to speculate over the causes of the crash – various aviation 'experts' in TV studios have proffered different theories – the crash has triggered a renewed debate over air safety. While official data suggests India's safety track record is at par with global standards, there are enough reasons for concern. A Tata Group-run Air India management still coming to terms with the fact that running a legacy airline is not quite the same as managing a steel or any other consumer business; Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company that finds itself under scrutiny once again; the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) whose supervisory and regulatory powers over a rapidly expanding sector will come under the scanner; the Adani group which manages and operates the Ahmedabad airport will also have to provide to give context. A parliamentary standing committee report on MOCA in March this year pointed out that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was operating with 53% of its sanctioned posts vacant, while the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has a vacancy rate of 35%. The government's ambitious UDAN scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations, but its budget has been slashed by 32%. While the number of airports has nearly doubled in the last decade, the amount being spent on maintaining safety standards lags behind. Which raises a big question: will a horrific air crash change anything on the ground? The black box and flight data recorder may provide more clues as to what happened for a Dreamliner plane to explode into a fireball just seconds after take-off but will the inquiry be fair and transparent in revealing the truth given the mighty stakeholders involved? Which brings one to ask a critical question: is there any ACCOUNTABILITY in our system to ensure responsibility is fixed on key figures in a time-bound manner? Just look at the series of events in a disastrous month of June that still has some days to June 4, just a day after the IPL final, a stampede in Bengaluru during the victory celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru left 11 people dead, many more injured. The rushed event was organised despite the fact that the police had not given the required permission. With back-to-back events being organised at the Vidhan Soudha and Chinnaswamy Stadium, the police was overwhelmed by the surging crowds. A public spectacle for a privately-run franchise's triumph was given priority over the urgent need for public safety. Instead of accepting responsibility, the faction-ridden Congress government in Karnataka has busily disowned its culpability. Bengaluru's top cop has been suspended while no politician who happily posed with the star players has been held to June 9, four people died and nine were injured in a rail accident in Mumbra near Mumbai. The commuters fell onto the tracks while they were standing on the footboards of overcrowded trains. People hanging by the door in peak hour crowding is not new with a sharp curve along the Mumbra track making it even more hazardous. While a Central Railway committee is probing the incident, the underlying causes of a shambolic public transport system in a megapolis like Mumbai remain unaddressed. Is the creaking suburban train system suffering from neglect as alleged by commuter organisations while the private car traffic whizzes by on a shining coastal road?advertisementOn June 16, a bridge collapsed near Pune due to overcrowding amidst heavy rainfall, leaving four people dead and several more injured. The 30-year-old bridge was deemed 'unsafe' but, despite red flags being raised by locals for several years, a work order for the construction of a new bridge was delayed and reportedly issued only five days before the collapse. Approval of Rs 8 crore for a new bridge was given last year, but bureaucratic red-tapism meant that it was all too late to avoid a tragedy. Yet again, Maharashtra's BJP-led ruling alliance politicians have fulminated and promised action, only presumably until the next bridge collapse serves as another wake-up June 15, seven people died when a chopper flying from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi in Uttarakhand crashed in the forest. Worryingly, this was the fifth such incident in just six weeks in the area, raising questions over the feasibility of helicopter services in inclement weather in the mountains. Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami has promised to put in place a Standard Operating Procedure while the DGCA has assured extra surveillance. Once again, a case of too little, too the chronology of each such tragedy follows a familiar pattern. Little attention is paid to adhering to strict safety norms in a characteristic 'chalta hai' attitude. Rather than focus on the rigors of daily governance, priority is given to the optics of political grandstanding. More fast trains are flagged, more airports are commissioned, more tourist sites are created, more glitzy sports celebrations are a Viksit Bharat by 2047, as envisaged by the Modi government, is a noble aim. Yet, the grim reality on the ground often doesn't match the dreams being spun in the air in a nation of 1.4 billion people. And then, when every now and then, a rickety bridge collapses, a stampede is caused by mass hysteria or there is a rail or air accident, those in positions of power are the first to shrug off their responsibility. After all, in almost all instances, it is the faceless, anonymous Indian who pays with their lives. Unless there is a fundamental change in approach that places a premium on accountability above all else, we will simply lurch from one disaster to the next. Because in India, if there is one sport that we deserve an Olympic medal in, it is 'passing the buck'.advertisementPost-script: Ironically, just a few days ago, a BBC investigative report exposed the truth of the Mahakumbh stampede deaths in January this year. Officially, the UP government claimed 37 people died, but the detailed BBC investigation found the number was at least 82. If we lie about death, what price is there for human lives?(Rajdeep Sardesai is a senior journalist and author. His latest book is 2024: The Election That Surprised India)(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Singapore Air sees trade woes hurting demand in cautious outlook
By Danny Lee and Audrey Wan (Bloomberg) – Singapore Airlines warned tariff and trade tensions on top of broader economic and geopolitical uncertainties could hurt demand for passenger and cargo flights. The city-state flag carrier's cautious outlook emerged despite full-year profit beating estimates and revenue rising to a record as strong travel demand countered intensifying pressure from competitors and geopolitical headwinds. 'The global airline industry faces a challenging operating environment,' the airline said in a statement. The growing challenges 'may impact consumer and business confidence, potentially affecting both passenger and cargo markets,' adding it remained vigilant to adapt to changing market conditions. Net income rose 3.9% to S$2.78 billion ($2.1 billion) in the year ended March 31, higher than analyst estimates for S$2.4 billion. Revenue edged 2.8% higher to a record S$19.5 billion, topping expectations for S$19.3 billion. Singapore Air's muted final quarter underscores the uncertainty hanging over the carrier for the year ahead. While the airline had been confident about robust travel demand, US President Donald Trump's ever-changing policies have hurt consumer sentiment and upended global trade flows. The airline's passenger yield – a key metric of profitability – declined slower than in the previous three years, falling 5.5% to 10.3 Singaporean cents per kilometre. Expenses, including fuel costs, rose. Singapore Air's caution stopped short of any concrete financial impact. That contrasts with major US airlines like American Airlines Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines, which withdrew their full-year guidance, while United Airlines took the unusual step of offering two forecasts factoring in a scenario with and without a tariff impact. Europe's largest carrier, Deutsche Lufthansa, had warned last month it had limited earnings visibility amid the trade tensions. Singapore Airlines Group, which includes budget unit Scoot, carried a record 39.4 million passengers in the fiscal period. The carrier also has a 25.1% stake in Tata Group-run Air India. The city-state's flag carrier has entered deals to jointly operate flights and coordinate schedules and airfares on routes between Singapore and the likes of Indonesia, Japan, Germany and Malaysia with rival carriers to shore up its competitive defences. Net income was boosted by a one-off non-cash gain of S$1.1 billion booked in the third quarter. Stripping out the one-off item, adjusted net income fell 37% to S$1.7 billion. Shares in Singapore Air closed 0.3% higher in Singapore Thursday. That takes its year-to-date gains to 6.8%. More stories like this are available on ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Air India bids adieu to Silchar, flights to stop from June 1
1 2 Silchar: In a landmark decision ending nearly 70 years of aviation service, Air India will suspend flight operations to and from Silchar Airport starting June 1. The Tata Group-run airline's last scheduled flight on the Silchar-Kolkata route will depart on May 31. The suspension — confirmed by senior Air India officials — comes without an official explaination from the airline. Sources reveal that an internal communication has already been circulated, offering voluntary retirement to the airline's permanent station manager in Silchar. However, uncertainty looms over several contractual employees, with no clear reassignment plans. Since its first service in 1955, Air India (formerly Indian Airlines) has played a crucial role in connecting Silchar to the rest of India. The Silchar-Kolkata route, especially the daily flight, has long been a lifeline for the region, consistently averaging 120 passengers per trip. The withdrawal is expected to have far-reaching consequences on regional connectivity. With limited and often unreliable surface transport — especially during monsoons — air travel remains crucial. Air India's departure leaves only IndiGo and Alliance Air operating flights from Silchar, raising fears of capacity constraints and fare surges. "Ticket prices will likely rise as demand outstrips supply, especially during peak travel periods and emergencies," cautioned a travel industry sources. The decision has triggered concern among frequent flyers, local residents, and stakeholders, who urge civil aviation authorities to intervene and ensure continued, affordable air connectivity for Silchar and the broader Barak Valley region.
