SC expresses concern over air safety, refers PIL to Centre

The PIL was filed by 812 Foundation, formed by Yashwant Shenoy, advocate Nayana Pai and a victim's family member of the 2010 Mangalore plane crash

The Supreme Court today expressed concern over the air safety situation in the country and referred to a petition to Civil Aviation Ministry for considering suggestions made by a foundation on the issue.

"We know that it is a serious matter but it has to be considered by the experts and not by the court," a bench comprising justices B S Chauhan and S A Bobde said.

The PIL filed by 812 Foundation, formed by Yashwant Shenoy, advocate Nayana Pai and a victim's family member of the 2010 Mangalore plane crash, said the court's intervention was needed to improve the aviation safety in the country.

On being asked to move to the Delhi High Court, the foundation said it has approached the apex court as the 13 airports, which are in critical shape and have been referred to in the PIL, are spread in seven states. "Now the entire country has become critical," the bench said.

"Instead of keeping the petition pending, we allow the petitioner to make representations to the government which will examine all the aspects raised by the petitioner on air safety," it said while disposing of the PIL.

The copy of the PIL would be treated as the representation by the Secretary of Civil Aviation Ministry, it said.

The PIL also refers to unsafe air strips in the country including the Mangalore airport where an Air India Express Flight 812, on May 22, 2010, had overshot the runway on landing and caught fire.

The Mangalore-bound passenger aircraft, which was coming from Dubai, had 160 passengers and six crew members on board and only eight of them had survived.