Mazdoor Ekta Lehar expresses its profound grief to the families of the 158 passengers and crew of the Air India Plane from Dubai that crashed in Mangalore Airport in the early hours of May 22, 2010. Hundreds of people have lost their sole bread earner in this tragedy.
Mazdoor Ekta Lehar expresses its profound grief to the families of the 158 passengers and crew of the Air India Plane from Dubai that crashed in Mangalore Airport in the early hours of May 22, 2010. Hundreds of people have lost their sole bread earner in this tragedy.
The Aviation Ministry has initiated an inquiry into the reasons for the crash. At this juncture, it is important to point out that a number of questions have been raised by the Air India Unions as well as other concerned citizens. Was the Mangalore Airport, whose runway is admittedly short, and which ends in a sudden deep ravine, up to international standards? There had been petitions on this question before the Karnataka High Court, which had been dismissed in the late nineties, at the time of the commissioning of the airport, as “frivolous PILs”. Questions have been raised regarding whether the runaway was safe for landing at that time. The maintenance and fitness of planes for flying has also been questioned. Another issue that has been raised is whether the long working hours of pilots, without adequate rest in between, could lead to fatigue, putting at risk the lives of many people. These questions will have to be answered in the coming period.