Air India is facing a storm of regulatory heat after a DGCA audit uncovered nearly 100 safety violations, just weeks after a catastrophic crash claimed 260 lives. The report, which highlights seven critical breaches, has triggered multiple show-cause notices and intensified scrutiny of the airline’s operations.
DGCA Flags 100 Violations Of Air India
According to Times Now, Air India, the flag carrier recently reclaimed by the Tata Group, is at the centre of a regulatory storm. Following a sweeping audit, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has identified nearly 100 safety violations, seven of which have been classified as Level-1. Level 1 is recognised as the most severe tier arena, reserved for breaches that directly jeopardise passenger safety and demand urgent correction.
The audit, conducted from July 1 to 4 at the airline’s main operational hub in Gurugram, examined everything from rostering and flight scheduling to crew training and compliance with rest regulations. The findings are concerning, and not just for their volume, but also their timing. They come at a time when the airline is already under intense scrutiny following the June 12 crash of flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London. The aircraft lost engine thrust within seconds of takeoff from Ahmedabad and crashed into a medical college hostel, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard, along with 19 others on the ground.
A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that the fuel supply to both engines was cut almost simultaneously, within a second of each other. The switches had inexplicably shifted from RUN to CUTOFF; this was a mechanical or procedural failure still under investigation.
What Did The Audit Reveal?
The DGCA’s audit, though annual in nature, is now seen through the prism of this tragedy. Sources familiar with the review say the flagged violations include inadequate crew training, failure to comply with mandated rest periods, insufficient crew strength, and discrepancies in airfield qualification. Four show-cause notices were issued to the airline on July 23, relating specifically to these findings.
On June 21, days after the crash, the DGCA had already ordered Air India to remove three officials from their roles overseeing crew scheduling and rostering. In a statement, Air India confirmed it had received the audit findings and said it would respond within the timeline prescribed by the DGCA. They added that all airlines undergo regular audits and they will acknowledge the receipt of the findings timely, as stated Times Now.
These findings point to deeper structural gaps, ones that audits alone cannot patch. The airline has made some voluntary disclosures, indicating it was aware of at least part of the problem. For Air India, the brand resurrection campaign now faces a far more urgent task: rebuilding operational credibility. And for India’s fast-growing aviation sector, this is a harsh reminder that in the sky, safety isn’t a metric on a dashboard, it’s the bottom line.
Cover Image Courtesy: markbess/Wikipedia
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