Air India crash: DGCA audit flags 51 safety lapses, training, and crew gaps

Business Standard

2 days ago

India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has identified 51 safety-related issues during its July audit of Air India. These include insufficient pilot training, the use of simulators not approved by authorities, and a faulty rostering system, according to an official government report seen by Reuters.
Although the audit is unrelated to the recent Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, it comes at a time of increased scrutiny for the airline.
Significant violations, compliance deadlines
The 11-page confidential DGCA report flagged seven serious 'Level I' safety breaches that must be addressed by July 30. It also listed 44 other compliance issues that need to be resolved by August 23.
The report revealed 'recurrent training gaps' among some Boeing 787 and 777 pilots. These pilots reportedly failed to complete mandatory observation duties—where they monitor cockpit instruments—before their periodic evaluations.
Air India operates 34 Boeing 787s and 23 Boeing 777s, as per data from Flightradar24.
Training at challenging airports falls short
The DGCA criticised Air India's approach to training for Category C airports—airfields that are known to have difficult layouts or surrounding terrain. According to the report, the airline used simulators that did not meet required standards for this training.
'This may account to non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports,' the report stated.
Air India's response
In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it had been 'fully transparent' during the audit and would 'submit our response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions.'
A preliminary report into the June crash suggested confusion in the cockpit, with one pilot asking the other why he had turned off the fuel switches. The other pilot reportedly replied that he had not.
Fatigue & flight-time limits breached
The DGCA audit also highlighted ongoing issues with crew fatigue management. In one instance, a Milan-to-Delhi flight operated by Air India last month exceeded the legal flight-duty time limit by 2 hours and 18 minutes, which was classified as a 'Level I' violation.
The audit team, which included 10 inspectors and four additional auditors, criticised the airline's rostering software for not issuing strong alerts when crew numbers fell short of required minimums. The report cited at least four international flights that departed with too few cabin crew on board.
Operational oversight, passenger complaints
Since Tata Group acquired Air India in 2022, the airline has expanded its global reach but continues to face complaints about service quality, including broken armrests, dirty cabins, and malfunctioning entertainment systems.
Reuters recently reported that senior Air India officials, including the directors of flight operations and training, were issued notices on July 23 pointing to 29 'systemic' lapses and ignoring 'repeated' warnings. Air India has said it plans to respond.
Gaps in supervision & documentation
The DGCA report further noted discrepancies in 'door checks and equipment checks' and pointed out missing or incomplete training records. It also highlighted that no chief pilots had been appointed for the Airbus A320 and A350 fleets.
'This results in a lack of accountability, and effective monitoring of flight operations for these aircraft types,' the report said.
Last year, aviation authorities penalised airlines 23 times for safety breaches -- 11 of which involved the Air India Group. The most severe penalty was a $127,000 fine for not maintaining adequate oxygen supply on certain international flights.