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Business Standard
22 minutes ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Air India flew Airbus jets with overdue checks days before fatal 787 crash
India's civil aviation regulator had warned Air India about multiple safety violations just days before the deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad. According to official documents reviewed by Reuters, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had flagged serious lapses involving overdue inspections of emergency equipment on several aircraft. The warnings were issued prior to the June 13 crash that killed 271 people, including at least 30 on the ground. However, the DGCA clarified that the cited violations were not linked to the cause of the crash. Still, the timing of the findings has deepened scrutiny of the airline, which was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022. Emergency slide checks missed on multiple aircraft A DGCA inspection report revealed that spot checks in May found three Airbus aircraft had operated flights despite missing mandatory inspections of their emergency escape slides—equipment vital for passenger evacuation during emergencies. One Airbus A320 continued flying international routes to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah even though its escape slide inspection was overdue by over a month. Another aircraft, an A319 on domestic routes, had not undergone required checks for more than three months. A third aircraft had missed its inspection by two days. 'Operating aircraft with expired or unverified emergency equipment constitutes a breach of standard airworthiness and safety norms,' the DGCA report stated. It further said that Air India failed to submit timely compliance responses, indicating 'weak procedural control and oversight'. The regulator warned that aircraft missing mandatory safety inspections are deemed to have suspended airworthiness certificates. Warning notices were issued to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and senior officials responsible for airworthiness, quality, and planning. The report also cited an incident where an AI Engineering Services engineer accidentally deployed an escape slide during maintenance, which led to the discovery of one of the missed inspections. Air India accelerates verification of maintenance logs Air India responded by saying it is reviewing all maintenance records—particularly those related to escape slide inspections—and expects the process to be completed shortly. The DGCA also found that several aircraft had outdated registration paperwork. While Air India claimed all but one aircraft were compliant and that the discrepancy posed no safety risk, the regulator criticised 'inadequate internal oversight' and called it a 'systemic control failure'. Air India, subsidiaries received most safety notices in 2024 India's junior aviation minister said regulators had issued 23 safety-related warnings or penalties to airlines in 2024—more than half involving Air India and its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express. Among them was a $127,000 fine, the largest so far, for insufficient oxygen supply on a San Francisco-bound flight. Another incident involved unauthorised entry into the cockpit. Crash becomes world's deadliest in a decade The June 13 crash is now considered the deadliest plane crash globally in the past ten years. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, hitting a medical college hostel near the airport. The sole survivor, 40-year-old Viswashkumar Ramesh, was seated near an emergency exit. Among the 242 people on board, 241 died—including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, one Canadian, and 12 crew members. At least 30 others were killed on the ground. Investigators are examining possible issues with engine thrust, flap deployment, and the aircraft's landing gear, which reportedly remained extended during take-off. Both black boxes have been recovered and are under analysis.
Malay Mail
42 minutes ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Air India warned for flying Airbus planes with unchecked escape slides, expired safety gear
NEW DELHI, June 20 — 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 organisation's internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure,' it said. — Reuters
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Air India flew Airbus planes with unverified emergency slides, prompting regulator warning
India's aviation regulator has warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue for checks on emergency equipment, and for being slow to address the issue, government documents show. Advertisement 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 on board, and were sent days before that incident. In the report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) 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. Advertisement '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.
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Air India warned for flying Airbus planes with unchecked escape slides
[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. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 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 US$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 organisation's internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure,' it said. REUTERS
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Air India warned for flying Airbus planes with unchecked escape slides
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.
