Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 20: Air India and IndiGo representatives will appear before a parliamentary panel on 2 November. Safety investigator AAIB and security regulator BCAS will also join the aviation review.
Executives from India’s two largest airlines are set to face lawmakers next month. Air India and IndiGo representatives will appear before Parliament’s Committee on Public Undertakings. The 2 November hearing forms part of a review of civil aviation public undertakings. A Lok Sabha Secretariat notice confirmed the schedule.
The 22-member committee is chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda. It is one of Parliament’s financial committees. It examines the reports, accounts and performance of government-owned enterprises. Its members are drawn from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The formal subject is “Review of Performance of Civil Aviation Sector CPSUs”. CPSUs are central public sector undertakings, owned and controlled by the Union government. In aviation, they include bodies such as the Airports Authority of India. Air India will appear through Air India Limited, part of the Tata Group. InterGlobe Aviation Limited, the listed company that operates IndiGo, will represent the airline.
Neither airline is a public sector undertaking today. Air India was privatised in 2022, when the Tata Group took control. IndiGo has always been a private-sector company. Their presence reflects how closely commercial carriers depend on public aviation infrastructure. Airports, air navigation and security systems all shape airline operations. The notice does not suggest any wrongdoing by either airline.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will appear on the same day. The AAIB investigates aircraft accidents and serious incidents in India. Its inquiries identify contributing factors and issue safety recommendations. The aim is to prevent recurrence, not to assign blame. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) will also appear before the committee. BCAS sets and enforces security standards for airports and airlines. It oversees compliance and coordinates protection of aviation infrastructure.
The distinction matters. Aviation safety concerns preventing accidents and technical failures. Aviation security concerns protecting flights and airports from unlawful interference. The notice does not link either body’s appearance to any specific incident.
The review comes as India’s aviation market continues to expand. Rising passenger traffic is adding pressure on airports, airlines and regulators. Parliamentary scrutiny lets lawmakers question how public institutions are keeping pace. No committee findings or recommendations have been issued yet.
Separately, a different parliamentary panel will meet economists on 30 October. The Joint Committee is examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024. It is also reviewing the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The bills relate to holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously. A separate Lok Sabha Secretariat notice listed interactions with eminent economists. BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary chairs that committee. The proposed amendments remain under parliamentary examination and have not been enacted.
Both hearings highlight Parliament’s continuing role in scrutinising policy and public institutions. For aviation, the 2 November session brings airlines, investigators and regulators before lawmakers.
