SC refuses to entertain plea on airport safety and urban infrastructure rules

The Supreme Court declined to hear a plea seeking regulations on urban infrastructure around airports, calling it a policy matter. The petition cited the 2025 Air India Ahmedabad crash that killed 260 people. The plea was later withdrawn by the petitioner

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking regulations to control urban infrastructure around airports, which referred to last year’s Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 241 people on board and 19 doctors and students of a medical college, which was the site of impact.

Refusing to entertain the petition filed by Shakil Sheikh through advocate Laxmikant Matadan Shukla, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana said the issue pertained to policy.

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Shukla, appearing for the petitioner, contended that there is infrastructure hazard in and around airports across the country, as there are no regulations to control the growth of urban infrastructure.

He referred to the Air India AI171 crash that killed a total of 260 people on June 12 last year, and said that 19 doctors and students of the BJ Medical College lost their lives as it was the point of impact.

He sought directions to the Centre and other concerned departments for the formulation of regulations to control urban infrastructure in and around airports.

CJI Kant told the counsel that the court was not inclined to entertain the petition as it was purely a policy matter, and asked him whether he would like to withdraw the plea.

Sensing the mood of the court, Shukla agreed to withdraw the petition, after which the top court dismissed the plea as withdrawn.

Air India’s Boeing 787-8 or Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB en route to London crashed soon after takeoff on June 12, 2025, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground.

A lone passenger survived while all 12 crew members died in the accident that happened during the initial climb. The plane crashed onto the hostel complex of BJ Medical College in Meghaninagar, moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

The deceased passengers included citizens from India, the UK, Portugal and Canada. In its preliminary report on the crash released on July 12 last year, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said that fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after takeoff.

On June 12 this year, the AAIB issued an interim statement on the investigation into the plane crash, saying significant progress has been made, and a final report will be released upon completion of all investigative activities, requisite international review and consultation processes.

Without providing specific details about the probe status or findings so far, the AAIB said the investigation team undertook extensive and rigorous examination of all relevant technical, operational, organisational and human factors associated with the crash over the past year.