India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has warned Air India for operating three Airbus planes with overdue inspections on critical emergency equipment, such as escape slides.
In May 2025, DGCA spot checks revealed that three Air India Airbus planes—A320, A319, and another unspecified model—were flown despite delayed mandatory inspections on escape slides. One A320’s check was over a month late, operating international flights to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah. An A319’s inspection was three months overdue, and another was two days late.
The DGCA report stated, “Aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, violating standard airworthiness and safety requirements.” The regulator also noted Air India’s delayed responses to compliance issues, highlighting “weak procedural control and oversight.”
Exclusive: 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 https://t.co/sJ7F0mvoK0
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 19, 2025Air India, acquired by the Tata Group in 2022, acknowledged the lapses and is accelerating maintenance record verification, aiming to complete the process soon. The airline attributed one incident to an engineer inadvertently deploying an escape slide during maintenance. Air India also clarified that outdated registration paperwork on one aircraft poses no safety risk.
Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, emphasised, “Checks on escape slides are critical. Failure to deploy in an accident can cause serious injuries.” The DGCA deemed airworthiness certificates for non-compliant aircraft “suspended,” such breaches may lead to fines or penalties for Air India executives.
Read: Air India Flight AI-171 Crashes in Ahmedabad After Mayday Call
The violations are unrelated to the recent Air India Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 241 of 242 onboard. However, they underscore ongoing challenges for Air India, including parts shortages and systemic oversight issues, as noted in the DGCA’s report.
