Just days before the tragic AI171 crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a warning to Air India for multiple safety violations involving its Airbus aircraft fleet.
The DGCA discovered that three Airbus planes were flying without timely inspections of emergency escape slides, which are vital in case of evacuation. These lapses surfaced during spot checks last month.
One Airbus A320 flew to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah even though its slide inspections were delayed by over a month. Another A319 flew domestic routes with checks overdue by more than three months. A third had a delay of two days.
The DGCA report, cited by Reuters, stated that operating aircraft with unverified emergency systems violates airworthiness norms. It also criticized Air India for failing to respond on time to the safety deficiencies.
In one incident, a maintenance engineer accidentally deployed an escape slide, revealing the outdated status. The report blamed this on “systemic control failure” and weak internal oversight.
The Airbus-related warning does not concern the AI171 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed on June 12 in Ahmedabad, killing 269 people. Still, the proximity of the DGCA findings has intensified public scrutiny.
Air India claimed it is now accelerating verification of all emergency inspection records. Only one aircraft remains non-compliant, according to the airline. The DGCA, however, found outdated registration documents on multiple planes.
The DGCA has now ordered enhanced surveillance of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet. With increasing reports of Air India safety violations, the airline faces pressure to restore public trust.
Also ReadAir India Suspends and Reduces International Flights
As the Tata Group looks to rebuild the airline, the challenge ahead is clear: enforce rigorous safety compliance or risk further damage to its brand and passengers.
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