Latest news with #AircraftMaintenanceandEngineeringOperatingSystem
India.com
16 hours ago
- Business
- India.com
Air India Express Admits Engine Maintenance Lapse After DGCA Rap, Says Issue Resolved
New Delhi: Following a sharp reprimand from India's aviation regulator, DGCA, Air India Express on Friday admitted to an error in replacing engine parts on one of its Airbus A320 aircraft and said it has now fixed the issue, along with implementing corrective and preventive measures. In a statement, the airline said that an Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued in May 2023 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was applicable to two engines in its inventory. While the required change was carried out on one engine within the stipulated timeframe, the directive for the other was missed due to a record migration issue in the airline's monitoring software. "Primarily on account of the migration of records on the monitoring software platform, the technical team missed the trigger for one engine," the airline said. It added that the necessary changes were made "as soon as this was identified" and that compliance for the second engine was also completed within the deadline. "We acknowledged the error to the DGCA and undertook remedial action and preventive measures with immediate effect. Necessary administrative actions were also taken against the persons held responsible," the statement said. This response comes against the backdrop of a confidential DGCA memo, which accused Air India Express of failing to replace engine parts within the mandatory timeframe and allegedly altering maintenance records to show false compliance. The violations were discovered during a routine DGCA audit in October 2024 and formally communicated to the airline in March this year. The DGCA memo had flagged that the part modification "was not complied (with)" on one engine of an Airbus A320, within the required limits. It also raised concerns over possible tampering of records in the airline's Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System (AMOS). The safety lapse predates the tragic June crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Ahmedabad that killed 241 of the 242 people on board, the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. Air India Express, which is currently undergoing fleet expansion and integration with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India), has reiterated its commitment to "the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance".
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Business Standard
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
DGCA pulled up Air India Express over Airbus engine rule violations: Report
India's aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued a warning to Air India Express in March after it failed to replace critical engine parts on an Airbus A320 aircraft within the deadline set by European regulators. The airline was also accused of altering records to falsely indicate compliance, according to a confidential government memo seen by Reuters. The memo stated that DGCA surveillance found the required modification on the Airbus A320 engine 'was not complied [with]' in time. 'In order to show that the work has been carried out within the prescribed limits, the AMOS records have apparently been altered/forged,' it added, referring to the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System software used by airlines. Air India Express, a low-cost subsidiary of Air India under the Tata Group, has faced previous warnings from the DGCA. Earlier this year, the regulator flagged violations including operating three Airbus aircraft with overdue safety checks on emergency escape slides, and 'serious violations' of pilot duty timings in June. Safety concerns raised by European aviation body In 2023, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a directive concerning CFM International LEAP-1A engines. The order called for the replacement of certain components, including engine seals and rotating parts, due to 'a potential unsafe condition' caused by manufacturing flaws. The directive warned: 'This condition, if not corrected, could lead to failure of affected parts, possibly resulting in high energy debris release, with consequent damage to, and reduced control of, the aeroplane.' The mandatory modification was required for Air India Express' aircraft registered as VT-ATD. This aircraft typically operates on domestic routes and international destinations such as Dubai and Muscat, according to flight tracking data from AirNav Radar. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the problem was first flagged during a DGCA audit in October 2024. However, the aircraft continued to operate for a few flights after the deadline for replacing the engine parts had passed. The government memo noted: 'The lapse indicates that the accountable manager has failed to ensure quality control.' Airline admits error, suspends two officials Air India Express confirmed to Reuters that its technical team missed the scheduled date for the parts replacement due to a transition in its software system. The airline said the issue was resolved shortly after being identified. It did not specify when the parts were finally replaced or directly respond to the DGCA's finding that records had been forged. However, it said that following the memo in March, the airline took 'necessary administrative actions', including removing the quality manager from their role and suspending the deputy continuing airworthiness manager. The DGCA and the European safety agency declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Airbus and CFM International — the engine manufacturer, a joint venture between GE and Safran — also did not respond. Broader scrutiny of Air India group The issue with the Airbus aircraft was flagged well before the 12 June crash of an Air India-operated Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, in which 241 of the 242 people on board lost their lives. The incident — the world's deadliest air crash in more than a decade — is under investigation. The Indian government informed Parliament in February that, in 2023, authorities issued 23 warnings or fines to airlines for safety breaches — three involving Air India Express and eight involving Air India. The Tata Group acquired Air India from the Indian government in 2022 with plans to transform it into a 'world-class airline'
India Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Air India Express delayed Airbus engine fix, forged records: Report
Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reprimanded Air India Express, Air India's low-cost carrier, in March for failing to promptly replace engine components on an Airbus A320, as mandated by the European Union's aviation safety authority, and for falsifying records to appear compliant, according to a confidential government memo reviewed by news agency a statement, the airline told Reuters that it had acknowledged the lapse and implemented "remedial action and preventive measures."advertisementThe confidential memo, sent to the airline in March and accessed by Reuters, said that surveillance by the DGCA revealed the parts modification "was not complied" on an engine of an Airbus A320 "within the prescribed time limit". "In order to show that the work has been carried out within the prescribed limits, the AMOS records have apparently been altered/forged," the memo added, referring to the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System software used by airlines to manage maintenance and India Express said that its technical team missed the scheduled implementation date for parts replacement due to the migration of records on its monitoring software, and fixed the problem soon after it was did not give dates of compliance or directly address DGCA's comment about records being altered, but said that after the March memo it took "necessary administrative actions", which included removing the quality manager from the person's position and suspending the deputy continuing airworthiness serious breach comes as the Tata-owned airline group faces intense scrutiny in the wake of June's fatal crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Ahmedabad — the worst aviation disaster in a decade — which killed 241 of the 242 people onboard. Though unrelated, the crash has spotlighted broader safety oversight and procedural adherence within the airline March safety lapse preceded the crash by several months but is part of a string of violations flagged by the regulator this year. In addition to the Air India Express engine issue, the DGCA warned Air India for flying three Airbus aircraft with overdue escape slide checks and separately cited 'serious violations' of pilot duty timing rules in VT-ATD aircraft typically serves domestic routes and short international sectors, including Dubai and Muscat. The engine component changes were mandated due to 'manufacturing deficiencies' that posed potential safety risks, according to the EU's aviation safety agency.A former Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau official, Vibhuti Singh, called the lapse 'a grave mistake,' emphasising that delayed engine fixes — especially when operating near restricted airspace or over water — dramatically increase operational data shows that in 2023, authorities issued safety warnings or fines in 23 cases, with 11 involving either Air India or Air India acquiring Air India in 2022, the Tata Group has aimed to turn it into a global carrier of high repute. However, the airline continues to battle recurring customer complaints about aircraft conditions and onboard services, further complicated now by a deepening safety crisis.- EndsWith input from ReutersTune InMust Watch
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
DGCA warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records
Aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), reprimanded Air India's budget carrier in March for not timely changing engine parts of an Airbus A320 as directed by European Union's aviation safety agency, and falsifying records to show compliance, a government memo showed. In a statement, Air India Express told Reuters it acknowledged the error to DGCA and undertook "remedial action and preventive measures". Air India has been under intense scrutiny since the June Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad which killed all but one of the 242 people onboard. The world's worst aviation disaster in a decade is still being investigated. The engine issue in the Air India Express' Airbus was raised on March 18, months before the crash. But the regulator has this year also warned parent Air India for breaching rules for flying three Airbus planes with overdue checks on escape slides, and in June warned it about "serious violations" of pilot duty timings. Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India, which is owned by the Tata Group. It has more than 115 aircraft and flies to more than 50 destinations, with 500 daily flights. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2023 issued an airworthiness directive to address a "potential unsafe condition" on CFM International LEAP-1A engines, asking for replacement of some components such as engine seals and rotating parts, saying some manufacturing deficiencies had been found. The agency's directive said "this condition, if not corrected, could lead to failure of affected parts, possibly resulting in high energy debris release, with consequent damage to, and reduced control of, the aeroplane." The government's confidential memo in March sent to the airline, seen by Reuters, said that surveillance by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed the parts modification 'was not complied' on an engine of an Airbus A320 'within the prescribed time limit'. "In order to show that the work has been carried out within the prescribed limits, the AMOS records have apparently been altered/forged," the memo added, referring to the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System software used by airlines to manage maintenance and airworthiness. The "mandatory" modification was required on Air India Express' VT-ATD plane, the memo added. That plane typically flies on domestic routes and some international destinations such as Dubai and Muscat, according to the AirNav Radar website. The lapse "indicates that accountable manager has failed to ensure quality control," it added/ Air India Express told Reuters its technical team missed the scheduled implementation date for parts replacement due to the migration of records on its monitoring software, and fixed the problem soon after it was identified. It did not give dates of compliance or directly address DGCA's comment about records being altered, but said that after the March memo it took "necessary administrative actions", which included removing the quality manager from their position and suspending the deputy continuing airworthiness manager. The DGCA and the European safety agency did not respond to Reuters queries. Airbus and CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and Safran, also did not respond. The lapse was first flagged during a DGCA audit in October 2024 and the plane in question took only a few trips after it was supposed to replace the CFM engine parts, a source with direct knowledge said. "Such issues should be fixed immediately. It's a grave mistake. The risk increases when you are flying over sea or near restricted airpsace," said Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at the India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The Indian government told parliament in February that authorities warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Three of those cases involved Air India Express, and eight Air India.
