Abhishek Vij
In our country, air travel is considered a time-saving and elite mode of transport. Wealthy individuals, politicians, and actors frequently travel by air. However, in the past year, there have been so many reports of flight cancellations due to even minor weather disturbances, and so many deaths in plane crashes, that ordinary passengers are now hesitant to take this risk, even if they can afford the higher cost.
In the latest accident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior leader Ajit Pawar tragically lost his life. Pawar was traveling with four others in a private charter plane, but the aircraft, which took off from Mumbai, crashed in Baramati.
All five people, including Ajit Pawar, died. The jet was 16 years old and crashed during its second landing attempt.
A video shows that the plane lost control in mid-air and crashed in that state. Ajit Pawar was the nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and after a split, Ajit had formed his own NCP (Ajit) party. Ajit Pawar’s funeral was held on Thursday with full rites. This raises the question: why are plane crashes happening so frequently? Recently, several prominent figures have perished in plane crashes. Each new death raises questions about India’s rapidly developing aviation sector. The aviation sector in the country is being developed at a rapid pace.
The nature of air travel has changed significantly. Large entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals now own their private charter planes. Besides the non-governmental aviation sector, many companies also provide charter planes and helicopters.
The demand for these services is very high among politicians. With several state assembly elections approaching, this demand will only increase. However, the way these accidents are occurring suggests a lack of proficiency among pilots in landing and taking off.
Given the frequency of such incidents, the government needs to strengthen its monitoring system. Last year, in the Ahmedabad plane crash, all but one passenger were killed. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also among the deceased. A few years ago, India’s former Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Chandra Rawat, died in a helicopter crash. Politicians YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Madhavrao Scindia, Sanjay Gandhi, GMC Balayogi, Dorjee Khandu, and Mohan Kumaramangalam also fell victim to similar air accidents.
Ajit Pawar’s death has sent shockwaves through political circles as well as the aviation sector. The general consensus is that greater caution must now be exercised in aircraft operations and pilot appointments. Meanwhile, some opposition politicians, most notably Mamata Banerjee, have hinted at the possibility of a political conspiracy in this accident, while Ajit Pawar’s uncle, Sharad Pawar, has urged them not to politicize the incident.
Indeed, it should not be politicized. The focus should now be on how to make charter planes and private flights safer in the country. During elections, politicians need air travel to reach rallies. Often, prominent leaders use private planes and helicopters for election campaigns.
To prevent a recurrence of such accidents in the future, a thorough investigation of this air crash should be conducted, and any shortcomings identified. Rectifying these shortcomings and making future air travel flawless is the need of the hour.