Air India jet grounded after operating eight flights without valid safety certificate
Air India investigation after plane repeatedly flown without valid safety certificate
- India's aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has launched an investigation into Air India after one of its Airbus A320 aircraft operated eight commercial flights without a valid airworthiness review certificate.
- The certificate for the A320, formerly part of the Vistara fleet, expired during an engine replacement, and the jet was inadvertently returned to service on 24 and 25 November before an engineer identified the missing documentation.
- Air India reported the breach to the DGCA on 26 November and suspended employees involved in clearing it for operation, stating it was a "regrettable" incident.
- The DGCA has removed multiple staff members from duty, ordered Air India to "plug gaps in its system," and described the incident as a serious safety breach, which can lead to penalties or action against senior officials.
- This incident adds to a challenging year for Air India, which has faced previous warnings from the DGCA regarding crew fatigue and training standards, and a recent audit identified 51 safety deficiencies.