Explained: Why safety standards in Indian aviation need urgent attention

Too many 'incidents' have been marring airlines' record of late in the country. Is safety being taken seriously enough, asks Anjuli Bhargava

If you are a frequent flier, the last two months will have been harrowing. The country’s largest airline, IndiGo, was cancelling flights virtually every day while another major airline, Jet Airways, cancelled out altogether by shutting shop. This threw air schedules out of gear across the country.

Yet, that will have been merely inconvenient. What was downright alarming was the frequency of safety incidents or accidents being reported across Indian airports – and across airlines. Confusion and chaos prevailed both up in the air and on the ground. In Delhi, seven ground accidents were reported in 2019 alone. Aircraft engines