Aniket PujariTata Group-owned carrier Air India has issued a clarification following a report alleging that the airline has operated an aircraft on several occasions without a valid airworthiness certificate.
In a statement to Mint, an Air India spokesperson said that an incident involving one of our aircraft operating without an airworthiness review certificate is regrettable.
“As soon as this came to our notice, it was duly reported to the DGCA, and all personnel associated with the decision have been placed under suspension, pending further review. We have initiated a comprehensive internal investigation and are fully cooperating with the regulator.”
The airline assured that Air India remains “unwavering in its commitment” to maintaining the highest standards of operational integrity and safety, and any deviation from mandated compliance protocols is treated with utmost seriousness and is unacceptable to the organisation.
The clarification comes after a report by The Economic Times, citing people familiar with the matter, stated that a 164-seat Airbus A320, with an expired airworthiness licence, flew eight times on 24 and 25 November. The issue was discovered when an engineer identified it, and the plane was taken out of service.
DGCA launches probe
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a statement issued on Tuesday, acknowledged that it was notified about an Air India aircraft operating on an expired ARC for eight sectors. “An investigation is underway, and the aircraft has been grounded.”
“DGCA has instituted an investigation and instructed the operator to ground the aircraft. The ARC process is in progress. Concerned personnel have been de-rostered with immediate effect pending investigation. Air India, on the instructions of DGCA, is carrying out an internal investigation to identify deficiencies in their system and put corrective measures in place to prevent such failures from occurring in future,” the agency said in the statement.
The incident will likely be classified as a Level 1 violation by the DGCA, indicating a serious safety concern, marking the latest error affecting Air India’s flight operations, the ET report said.
Notably, the incident comes months after the Air India plane crash of 12 June in Ahmedabad that left 260 people dead.
What is an airworthiness certificate?
An airworthiness certificate is issued by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, certifying that an aircraft is safe to operate. It must be renewed annually after the aircraft has passed all essential maintenance and safety inspections. Flying an aircraft without a valid certificate is illegal and poses serious safety risks, potentially leading to substantial penalties for the operator and responsible officials.
Trouble for Air India
Following the latest incident, Air India may also face trouble with lessors, as operating with an expired licence can lead to the invalidation of insurance coverage, the report said.
“By operating an aircraft which was not certified to be airworthy, the carrier has risked flight safety and (that of) all the passengers. This is a serious violation and not expected from a mainline carrier like Air India,” a government official told the news portal.
Earlier, the airline’s top officials, including chief executive Campbell Wilson, received show-cause notices for operating multiple aircraft components that had exceeded their lifespan.
Some months ago, the regulator suspended the head of the airline’s engineering quality department, who is responsible for audits, ensuring the airline complies with all standards.
