Twelve months on from the Air India tragedy that claimed 158 lives, the families who gathered at a memorial in Mumbai this morning still wait for answers. But here, in the UK, the silence from Whitehall is just as deafening. The crash of Flight AI101 was not a freak accident. It was a systemic failure of regulation, oversight, and corporate responsibility. And yet, the lessons that could save lives remain unlearned.
For those who lost loved ones, every day is a reminder of what went wrong. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, suffered a catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff from Delhi. The subsequent investigation revealed a catalogue of errors: inadequate maintenance records, lax enforcement of safety protocols, and a regulatory culture that prioritised cost-cutting over crew and passenger welfare.
Here in Britain, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been slow to act. Despite promises of a root-and-branch review, the reforms that were meant to follow have stalled. This is not just a matter for India. Air India operates daily flights into Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham. British families flew on that plane. British engineers serviced that engine. The global nature of aviation means that a failure in one jurisdiction can ripple across borders.
I spoke to Rajesh Patel, whose brother was a passenger on the flight. He told me: "The pain doesn't go away. But what makes it worse is knowing that nothing has changed. They say they will learn, but they don't. It feels like our grief has been used as a headline, not a lesson." Mr Patel's words should haunt every regulator who has sat on their hands.
The key issue is the lack of transparency in airline safety reporting. Confidential incident reporting – a system that allows engineers, pilots and ground staff to flag problems without fear of reprisal – is still not mandatory in many jurisdictions, including the UK. At the moment, whistleblowers often face a choice between their career and the truth. That cannot be right.
And what of the cost? The airline industry has fought tooth and nail against increased regulation, arguing that it would hit profits and raise fares. But can we really put a price on safety? The value of a human life is not a line item on a spreadsheet. It is the reason we must act.
There are glimmers of hope. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has begun a global audit of safety culture. But without political will, these audits are just paper. The UK government must now push for binding legislation at home and internationally.
As the memorial candles burn down in Mumbai, let us not forget that the dead are not just numbers. They are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. And they deserve better than a year of press releases and photo opportunities. They deserve a real commitment to change.
The crash that should have been a turning point risks becoming just another tragedy. We must ensure that the lessons of Flight AI101 are not buried with the victims. We owe them that much.
