Latest news with #AnimeshGarg
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
Aviation Watchdog Warns Air India Over 3 Planes, Says Checks Overdue: Report
NEW DELHI: India's aviation regulator has warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue checks on emergency equipment, and for being slow to address the issue, government documents show. The warning notices and an investigation report - both reviewed by Reuters - were not in any way related to last week's crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard, and were sent days before that incident. In the report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said spot checks in May on three Air India Airbus planes found that they were operated despite mandatory inspections being overdue on the "critical emergency equipment" of escape slides. In one case, the watchdog found that the inspection of an Airbus A320 jet was delayed by more than a month before being carried out on May 15. AirNav Radar data shows that during the delay the plane flew to international destinations such as Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah. Another case, involving an Airbus A319 used on domestic routes, showed checks were over three months late, while a third showed an inspection was two days late. "The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements," the DGCA report said. Air India "failed to submit timely compliance responses" to deficiencies raised by the DGCA, "further evidencing weak procedural control and oversight," it added. Air India, which was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 from the government, said in statement that it was "accelerating" verification of all maintenance records, including dates of the escape slides, and would complete the process in the coming days. In one of the cases, Air India said, the issue came to light when an engineer from AI Engineering Services "inadvertently deployed an escape slide during maintenance". The DGCA and Airbus did not respond to Reuters queries. Checks on escape slides are "a very serious issue. In case of accident, if they don't open, it can lead to serious injuries," said Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at the government's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The DGCA said in its report that the certificates of airworthiness for aircraft that miss mandatory checks were "deemed suspended". The warning notices and the report were sent by Animesh Garg, a deputy director of airworthiness in the Indian government, to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson as well as the airline's continuing airworthiness manager, quality manager and head of planning, the documents showed. An Indian aviation lawyer said such breaches typically attract monetary and civil penalties on both individual executives and the airline. Wilson told Reuters last year that global parts shortages were affecting most airlines, but the problem was "more acute" for Air India as its "product is obviously a lot more dated", with many planes not refreshed since they were delivered in 2010-2011. 'SYSTEMIC CONTROL FAILURE' The Indian regulator, like many abroad, often fines airlines for compliance lapses. India's junior aviation minister in February told parliament that authorities had warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Around half of them - 12 - involved Air India and Air India Express, including in one case for "unauthorised entry into cockpit". The biggest fine was $127,000 on Air India for "insufficient oxygen on board" during a flight to San Francisco. Last week's crash, the causes of which are still being investigated, will further challenge Air India's attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travellers for poor service. Air India's Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Monday told staff the crash should be a catalyst to build a safer airline, urging employees to stay resolute amid any criticism. In its report, the DGCA also said several Air India aircraft checked by officials had outdated registration paperwork. Air India told Reuters all but one aircraft complied with such requirements and this "poses no impact" to safety. The DGCA investigation report pulled up the airline for what it described as "inadequate internal oversight." "Despite prior notifications and identified deficiencies, the organization's internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure," it said.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Days before Ahmedabad crash, DGCA had warned Air India over safety lapses in Airbus fleet
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a stern warning to Air India for serious safety violations involving delayed inspections on emergency equipment in three of its Airbus aircraft, said a Reuters report on Thursday. According to Reuters, it has reviewed government documents — warning notices and an investigation report — which showed that the DGCA had found that the aircraft were operated without timely checks on critical escape slides. However, the DGCA report was not related to the aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. The DGCA investigation report revealed that three Airbus aircraft operated by Air India were flown despite mandatory safety inspections being overdue. The checks focused on critical emergency escape slides, and in one case involving an Airbus A320 jet, the inspection was delayed by over a month and only completed on May 15. The Reuters said according to AirNav Radar, the aircraft flew internationally to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah during this period. Another case involved an Airbus A319 on domestic routes, where the required check was more than three months overdue. A third aircraft inspection was delayed by two days. 'The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements,' the DGCA report quoted by Reuters stated. The report criticised Air India for its slow response to the deficiencies flagged by the regulator. 'Air India failed to submit timely compliance responses… further evidencing weak procedural control and oversight,' the DGCA reportedly noted in the investigation report. In one case, the issue came to light after an engineer from AI Engineering Services 'inadvertently deployed an escape slide during maintenance.' Highlighting broader concerns, the DGCA said certificates of airworthiness for aircraft that missed mandatory checks were 'deemed suspended.' Additionally, officials discovered outdated registration paperwork on several Air India aircraft. While the airline claimed that only one aircraft remained non-compliant and that the issue 'poses no impact' to safety, the regulator flagged the lapses as signs of 'inadequate internal oversight,' the Reuters reported. 'Despite prior notifications and identified deficiencies, the organization's internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure,' the DGCA report read, Reuters said. Air India, which was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022, responded by stating it is 'accelerating' verification of all maintenance records, including escape slide inspection dates, and plans to complete the process in the coming days. The warnings and investigation findings were sent by Animesh Garg, Deputy Director of Airworthiness, to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, as well as the airline's heads of planning, airworthiness, and quality, the Reuters report said. The DGCA and Airbus declined to comment. The aviation watchdog's scrutiny comes at a time of heightened focus on safety compliance. Earlier this year, India's junior aviation minister had informed Parliament that 23 safety violation cases had been flagged in 2023. Of these, 12 involved Air India and Air India Express. Notably, the airline was fined $127,000 for 'insufficient oxygen on board' during a San Francisco-bound flight, while another case involved 'unauthorised entry into cockpit.' In light of last week's Boeing 787-8 crash that killed all but one of the 242 people on board, Air India faces fresh challenges to restore its reputation. Although the crash is unrelated to the current safety warnings, it has intensified scrutiny on the airline's safety practices. Chairman N Chandrasekaran addressed employees on Monday, urging them to view the tragedy as a turning point. He called on staff to stay resilient and work toward building a safer airline amid any criticism.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
12 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
DGCA warns Air India for flying planes with overdue emergency equipment checks
India's aviation regulator has warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue checks on emergency equipment, and for being slow to address the issue, government documents show. read more India's aviation regulator has warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue checks on emergency equipment, and for being slow to address the issue, government documents show. The warning notices and an investigation report – both reviewed by Reuters – were not in any way related to last week's crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard, and were sent days before that incident. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said spot checks in May on three Air India Airbus planes found that they were operated despite mandatory inspections being overdue on the 'critical emergency equipment' of escape slides. In one case, the watchdog found that the inspection of an Airbus A320 jet was delayed by more than a month before being carried out on May 15. AirNav Radar data shows that during the delay the plane flew to international destinations such as Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah. Another case, involving an Airbus A319 used on domestic routes, showed checks were over three months late, while a third showed an inspection was two days late. 'The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements,' the DGCA report said. Air India 'failed to submit timely compliance responses' to deficiencies raised by the DGCA, 'further evidencing weak procedural control and oversight,' it added. Air India, which was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 from the government, said in statement that it was 'accelerating' verification of all maintenance records, including dates of the escape slides, and would complete the process in the coming days. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In one of the cases, Air India said, the issue came to light when an engineer from AI Engineering Services 'inadvertently deployed an escape slide during maintenance'. The DGCA and Airbus did not respond to Reuters queries. Checks on escape slides are 'a very serious issue. In case of accident, if they don't open, it can lead to serious injuries,' said Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at the government's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The DGCA said in its report that the certificates of airworthiness for aircraft that miss mandatory checks were 'deemed suspended'. The warning notices and the report were sent by Animesh Garg, a deputy director of airworthiness in the Indian government, to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson as well as the airline's continuing airworthiness manager, quality manager and head of planning, the documents showed. An Indian aviation lawyer said such breaches typically attract monetary and civil penalties on both individual executives and the airline. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Wilson told Reuters last year that global parts shortages were affecting most airlines, but the problem was 'more acute' for Air India as its 'product is obviously a lot more dated', with many planes not refreshed since they were delivered in 2010-2011. 'SYSTEMIC CONTROL FAILURE' The Indian regulator, like many abroad, often fines airlines for compliance lapses. India's junior aviation minister in February told parliament that authorities had warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Around half of them – 12 – involved Air India and Air India Express, including in one case for 'unauthorised entry into cockpit'. The biggest fine was $127,000 on Air India for 'insufficient oxygen on board' during a flight to San Francisco. Last week's crash, the causes of which are still being investigated, will further challenge Air India's attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travellers for poor service. Air India's Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Monday told staff the crash should be a catalyst to build a safer airline, urging employees to stay resolute amid any criticism. In its report, the DGCA also said several Air India aircraft checked by officials had outdated registration paperwork. Air India told Reuters all but one aircraft complied with such requirements and this 'poses no impact' to safety. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The DGCA investigation report pulled up the airline for what it described as 'inadequate internal oversight.' 'Despite prior notifications and identified deficiencies, the organization's internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure,' it said.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air India warned for flying Airbus planes with unchecked escape slides
India's aviation regulator has warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue checks on emergency equipment, and for being slow to address the issue, government documents show. The warning notices and an investigation report - both reviewed by Reuters - were not in any way related to last week's crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane that killed all but one of the 242 people onboard, and were sent days before that incident. In the report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said spot checks in May on three Air India Airbus planes found that they were operated despite mandatory inspections being overdue on the "critical emergency equipment" of escape slides. In one case, the watchdog found that the inspection of an Airbus A320 jet was delayed by more than a month before being carried out on May 15. AirNav Radar data shows that during the delay the plane flew to international destinations such as Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah. Another case, involving an Airbus A319 used on domestic routes, showed checks were over three months late, while a third showed an inspection was two days late. Live Events "The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements," the DGCA report said. Air India "failed to submit timely compliance responses" to deficiencies raised by the DGCA, "further evidencing weak procedural control and oversight," it added. Air India, which was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022 from the government, said in statement that it was "accelerating" verification of all maintenance records, including dates of the escape slides, and would complete the process in the coming days. In one of the cases, Air India said, the issue came to light when an engineer from AI Engineering Services "inadvertently deployed an escape slide during maintenance". The DGCA and Airbus did not respond to Reuters queries. Checks on escape slides are "a very serious issue. In case of accident, if they don't open, it can lead to serious injuries," said Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at the government's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. The DGCA said in its report that the certificates of airworthiness for aircraft that miss mandatory checks were "deemed suspended". The warning notices and the report were sent by Animesh Garg, a deputy director of airworthiness in the Indian government, to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson as well as the airline's continuing airworthiness manager, quality manager and head of planning, the documents showed. An Indian aviation lawyer said such breaches typically attract monetary and civil penalties on both individual executives and the airline. Wilson told Reuters last year that global parts shortages were affecting most airlines, but the problem was "more acute" for Air India as its "product is obviously a lot more dated", with many planes not refreshed since they were delivered in 2010-2011. 'SYSTEMIC CONTROL FAILURE' The Indian regulator, like many abroad, often fines airlines for compliance lapses. India's junior aviation minister in February told parliament that authorities had warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations last year. Around half of them - 12 - involved Air India and Air India Express, including in one case for "unauthorised entry into cockpit". The biggest fine was $127,000 on Air India for "insufficient oxygen on board" during a flight to San Francisco. Last week's crash, the causes of which are still being investigated, will further challenge Air India's attempts to rebuild its image, after years of criticism from travellers for poor service. Air India's Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Monday told staff the crash should be a catalyst to build a safer airline, urging employees to stay resolute amid any criticism. In its report, the DGCA also said several Air India aircraft checked by officials had outdated registration paperwork. Air India told Reuters all but one aircraft complied with such requirements and this "poses no impact" to safety. The DGCA investigation report pulled up the airline for what it described as "inadequate internal oversight." "Despite prior notifications and identified deficiencies, the organization's internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure," it said.
