In the wake of the tragic Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 260 lives, former Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor has come to the airline’s defense, urging people to keep the incident in perspective amid growing calls for the carrier to be banned.
Responding to a woman demanding a ban on Air India, Kapoor highlighted the airline’s strong safety track record, saying:
“Tens of thousands die in road and rail accidents in India each year — over 2,000 annually on Mumbai’s suburban rail alone — and yet, there is no public outrage at that scale. Air India has maintained stellar safety for decades. One tragedy and people lose perspective.”
Kapoor also emphasized the safety history of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, noting that flight AI-171 was part of a global fleet that had completed over 5 million flights without a fatal crash until this incident. He called air travel the “safest form of transportation”, adding that technical glitches and air turnbacks happen daily across all aircraft types.
The AI-171 crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, with the aircraft striking a hostel complex near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. In the aftermath, 66 international Air India flights were cancelled, mostly operated by Dreamliners. While speculation rose about broader safety issues, the airline clarified that many disruptions were also due to technical snags, crew shortages, and internal operational challenges.
The DGCA (India’s aviation regulator) has not grounded the Dreamliner fleet, but continues its investigation into the crash.
Kapoor’s comments serve as a reminder of aviation’s overall safety record, even amid rare but catastrophic incidents.
