Air India Fined: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) fined a penalty of $110,350 (around Rs 1 crore) for operating an Airbus aircraft on eight flights without a valid airworthiness permit, saying the lapse has further eroded public trust in the country's second-biggest airline. The confidential penalty order issued by the DGCA on February 5 to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, asserting the incident had "further eroded public confidence and adversely impacted the safety compliance of the organisation."
What Is Airworthiness Permit?
The Airworthiness Review Certificate, or ARC, is a key permit issued annually by the regulator after a plane passes safety and compliance checks. Obtaining the airworthiness certificate is mandatory for all airlines. The news agency, Reuters reported that it was a confidential order issued earlier this month.
An Airbus A320 flew passengers between New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on November 24 and November 25 without the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate.
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Air India's internal investigation into the incident, which Reuters reported in December, found "systemic failures", with the airline, which also admitted there was an urgent need to improve compliance culture at the carrier.
Joint Director General of Civil Aviation, Maneesh Kumar, wrote in the order, that the accountable manager (Wilson) on behalf of Air India is found blameworthy for the above lapses.
Air India 787 Fuel Switch Row
Meanwhile, a few days ago, the aviation watchdog criticised the Air India for not following correct procedure in operating switich. The matter was related to flight AI132's landing on February 2. DGCA's initial examination of the fuel control switch issue in one of Air India's Dreamliner has found that "apparently correct procedure" was not followed in operating the switch, and the airline has been asked to ensure that the crew follows the right procedures, according to sources.
After the incident, the DGCA looked at various aspects related to the incident, including whether the Boeing 787-8 aircraft VT-ANX could have been grounded at London Heathrow itself rather than operating the flight to Bengaluru.
On February 1, Air India operated the flight AI132 and after landing, the pilot recorded in the log book that the left engine fuel switch slipped from 'RUN' to 'CUT OFF' and that it was not getting locked in its position. The flight took off from London Heathrow on February 1 and landed in Bengaluru on February 2. There were more than 200 people on board. Subsequently, the aircraft was grounded at Bengaluru and the sources said that Air India will be sending the fuel control switch module concerned for checks to the original equipment manufacturer.
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Air India Facing Intense Scrutiny After Ahmedabad Crash
Air India has been undergoing intense scrutiny after the June 2025 Ahmedabad crash of flight AI-171, which killed 260 people shortly after takeoff. Initial reports claim a fuel switch cutoff by the pilot caused the crash.
(With agencies inputs)