Air India
India’s aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has formally warned Air India for breaching safety regulations after discovering that three of the airline’s Airbus aircraft were operated without undergoing mandatory inspections of critical emergency equipment—specifically, the escape slides.
According to DGCA documents reviewed by Reuters, the violations were uncovered during spot checks conducted in May. The report emphasized that these safety lapses were unrelated to the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 that occurred last week, which claimed 241 lives. The warnings and investigation findings had been issued days before that incident.
The DGCA report reveals that an Airbus A320 was flown internationally—including to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah—for more than a month past its scheduled inspection. Another Airbus A319, which operated on domestic routes, had overdue safety checks by more than three months. A third aircraft missed its scheduled inspection by two days. These delays, the report states, constitute violations of airworthiness and safety standards.
In one case, Air India acknowledged the lapse came to light only after a maintenance engineer from AI Engineering Services unintentionally deployed an escape slide during routine checks. The airline admitted that it had failed to respond to DGCA’s earlier warnings in a timely manner and is now “accelerating verification of all maintenance records,” including escape slide check dates, to ensure compliance in the coming days.
The DGCA criticized Air India for “weak procedural control and oversight,” citing the airline’s failure to submit timely compliance responses and its overall lack of adequate internal monitoring systems. The regulator went on to declare that aircraft operating without mandatory checks have their airworthiness certificates “deemed suspended.”
Industry experts have underlined the seriousness of the issue. Vibhuti Singh, a former legal advisor with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, noted that faulty or unchecked escape slides could result in severe injuries or fatalities in the event of an emergency. “This is a very serious issue. If escape slides fail during evacuation, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Singh said.
Government records show that Air India has been under scrutiny before. In 2023 alone, the airline and its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, accounted for more than half of the safety violations identified by the DGCA, including a case involving unauthorized access to a cockpit. The largest fine, amounting to $127,000, was levied on Air India for operating a flight to San Francisco with insufficient oxygen onboard.
The warning notice, sent by Deputy Director of Airworthiness Animesh Garg, was addressed to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and other top managers, including the quality and planning heads.
The investigation report further noted that outdated registration documents were found on several aircraft, though Air India claimed only one aircraft was non-compliant and said the issue posed no immediate safety risk.
The DGCA concluded that the airline’s internal quality and planning departments had failed to correct known deficiencies, highlighting a broader “systemic control failure.” The agency warned that such safety breaches could attract both monetary and civil penalties, not just for the airline but also for responsible executives.
As Air India continues efforts to modernize its fleet and rebuild its reputation, the recent findings underscore the urgent need for rigorous oversight and comprehensive safety compliance at all operational levels.
