Latest news with #aviationregulator
News24
13 hours ago
- Business
- News24
Air India under fire for flying planes with overdue emergency equipment checks
Aviation regulator warned Air India for operating three Airbus planes with overdue mandatory inspections on emergency escape slides. The regulator's report indicated "systemic control failure" at Air India, citing the airline's slow response to safety concerns and poor internal oversight. Air India said it is 'accelerating' the verification of all maintenance records, though the airline has previously faced multiple safety violations, including 12 instances that resulted in warnings or fines last year. India's aviation regulator has warned Air India for breaching safety rules after three of its Airbus planes flew despite being overdue on 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 (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 15 May. 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 a statement that it was 'accelerating' the verification of all maintenance records, including the 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 documents showed that Animesh Garg, a deputy director of airworthiness in the Indian government, sent the warning notices and the report to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, as well as the airline's continuing airworthiness manager, quality manager, and head of planning. 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. 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.
ABC News
7 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Air India crash probe focuses on engine, flaps and landing gear as aviation regulator orders safety checks
The investigation into the Air India plane crash that killed at least 265 people is reportedly focusing on the engine, flaps and landing gear, as India's aviation regulator ordered mass safety checks on other aircraft. On Friday, a source told Reuters that Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to the plane's engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down moments later. The source said the probe was also looking at whether Air India was at fault, including on maintenance issues. They added a bird strike was not among the key areas of focus and that teams of anti-terror experts were part of the investigation process. The government is considering whether it should ground the Boeing-787 fleet in the country during the probe, the source said. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Air India, Boeing and India's aviation ministry. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for London's Gatwick Airport erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings moments after take-off. Only one passenger survived. Local media reported that as many as 24 people on the ground were also killed as the plane crashed onto a medical college at lunchtime. Reuters could not immediately verify the number. It was the world's worst aviation disaster in more than a decade. Air India has more than 30 Dreamliners that include the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 versions. A source in Air India said there had been no communication so far from the government on the possible grounding. Separately, India's aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance actions on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines, including "one-time check" of the take-off parameters before the departure of every flight from midnight of June 15. The airline has also been instructed to introduce 'flight control inspection' — checks to ensure control systems are working properly — in transit inspection, and to conduct power assurance checks, meant to verify the engine's ability to produce the required power, within two weeks. The aviation ministry said that investigators and rescue workers had recovered the digital flight data recorder — one of the two black boxes on the plane — from the rooftop of the building on which the jet crashed. There was no information on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which is also crucial to the crash probe. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed by officials on the progress of rescue operations when he visited the crash site in his home state of Gujarat on Friday. Mr Modi also met some of the injured being treated in hospital. "The scene of devastation is saddening," he said in a post on X. Thursday's crash was the first for the Dreamliner since the wide-body jet began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Indian conglomerate Tata Group took control of the formerly state-owned Air India in 2022, and merged it with Vistara — a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines — last year. Reuters/ABC
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Survivor's claim that lights on Air India flight 'started flickering' could solve mystery of plane crash that killed 242 people, claim aviation experts
The British sole survivor of the Air India crash has revealed how the lights began flickering just before it went down and 'people died in front of my eyes'. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, from Leicester, has also described feeling like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was 'stuck in the air' and 'came to a standstill' rather than climbing after take off. Aviation experts have speculated online that the flickering lights and other symptoms described by Mr Ramesh on board could be a sign of a power failure. Air India are looking at several aspects of the crash including issues with the jet's engine thrust, its flaps, and why its landing gear remained open, a source close to the investigation has said. The government is also looking at whether Air India was at fault, including over maintenance issues, the same insider said. The airline has also been ordered by India's aviation regulator to do safety checks on its entire Boeing 787 fleet. But the key witness is Mr Ramesh - the only person to walk away from the Ahmedabad air disaster. Describing what happened after take off in an interview from his hospital bed he said today: 'When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. 'Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. 'The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' It came after a passenger on the plane when it flew the day before the crash claimed that electronics on the jet such as the screens in the seats were not working. He added: 'At first, I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage. 'I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening and crawled out.' Commenting on his survival, Mr Ramesh said: 'I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes. 'The air hostesses, and two people I saw near me. I walked out of the rubble.' Experts have said that identifying the dead is proving hard due to the severity of the disaster. Forensics Professor Naresh Soni told the Telegraph: 'All recovered remains have been transferred to the post-mortem unit. Our forensic teams are conducting DNA testing, and identification will be confirmed before remains are returned to families'. Mr Ramesh was in seat 11A, next to one of the aircraft's emergency exits. MailOnline has found footage that online aviation enthusiasts claim the emergency exit next to Mr Ramesh flew off just before the crash. Experts have raised concerns about what might have caused the fatal Air India crash - including potential problems with the Boeing 787's wing flaps and landing gear. Investigations are being stepped up following yesterday's tragedy that killed hundreds of people aboard the London Gatwick-bound aircraft - and the Dreamliner's wing flaps are coming under extra scrutiny as possibly to blame. Experts viewing footage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 ahead of the crash have said its configuration on taking off from Ahmedabad airport in India 'doesn't look right'. The Dreamliner plane was carrying 242 passengers, including 53 Britons. It has also been reported that an identical Boeing 787 made four emergency landings last month - an American Airlines plane with issues linked to its wing flaps not being properly deployed. The aircraft is to have returned to Amsterdam not long after take-off toeards Philadelphia, before later aborted flights to Philadelphia from Dublin, Barcelona and Zurich, the Telegraph reported. Meanwhile, one of the aircraft's black boxes has been recovered while the search for the other one is ongoing. Ex- British Airways pilot Alastair Rosenschein, watching video of Air India's Flight 171 in yesterday's tragedy, suggested the plane 'clearly' had its landing gear down - saying that was 'not correct' and that 'it should have been up'. A video posted to social media appeared to show the plane descending in a controlled manner with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed The Air India flight to London with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members, crashed Thursday shortly after takeoff from an airport in Gujarat Search and rescue teams respond to the scene of a plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, June 12, 2025 He told Sky News: 'It's not immensely clear - but it does look like the aircraft didn't have its take-off flap setting.' He described how the flaps must be set accurately to extend each wing's shape and generate further lift at lower speeds enabling take-off and follow-up climb. Mr Rosenschein suggested the wing flaps issue 'could explain why the aircraft came down', with the plane then unable 'to maintain flight'. He added: 'The video is not that clear, but it doesn't look right to me. The altitude of the aircraft isn't right either and the aircraft seems to be descending rather than climbing - it does look like it's an aerodynamic issue because of not having the right flaps setting on take-off.' The Air India tragedy that saw a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummet into a residential neighborhood on Thursday continues to provoke speculation as to its cause. Speculation has been rife that the plane was not correctly set up for takeoff - having not deployed its 'flaps', segments of the wing that are used to assist with lift. Marco Chan, of Buckinghamshire New University, said the setting of the flaps was completely down to the pilot - with more flap increasing the surface area of the wing and helping with lift at lower speeds. But if the plane is not travelling quickly enough, the wrong flap setting could actually work in reverse - and stall the plane. Footage appears to show the jet descending with its nose in the air, as if still trying to climb. Mr Chan said: 'Looking at the footage there are several experts suggesting the flaps aren't configured properly - it is hard to tell, but it could be a possibility. 'Every take-off is slightly different and you may have a different flap setting. It may not have been set properly. If that is the case, that is definitely human error. But we do have other procedures to ensure that doesn't happen.' The plane had been en route to London Gatwick, having taken off shortly after 1pm local time, in fair flying conditions. Air India received multiple safety concerns which has raised questions about its maintenance practices, it has now been claimed. Sanat Kaul, former Joint Secretary of the Civil Aviation Ministry, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had written to the airline on several occasions to highlight safety and inspection issues. Mr Kaul said: 'In this matter, the DGCA Director General of Civil Aviation is the regulator. 'It functions under the Ministry, but operates independently. DGCA had written to Air India several times, pointing out multiple issues, mainly regarding safety, things like improper inspections and other lapses. 'So the question now arises about the maintenance procedures followed by Air India. Astonishing footage showed the man walking away from the scene with some visible injuries to his face Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025 'There's also concern about what's called 'line maintenance', the checks conducted by inspectors before every flight. How thorough and effective those checks were is now under scrutiny.' Air India has yet to respond to Mr Kaul's claims. Meanwhile, the Indian government is considering grounding Air India's Boeing 787 fleet, the country's broadcaster NDTV reported. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said on Thursday: 'Investigations will take time, but anything we can do now we are doing.' He visited the crash site on Friday morning but did not answer any questions from reporters, having previously expressing his 'deep sorrow' over the tragedy. Mr Wilson also said that Air India's efforts were 'focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones'. The British survivor of the Air India plane crash has been visited by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. Video footage shows Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, talking to Mr Modi while lying on his hospital bed.
Reuters
7 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Air India's troubles under the Tata Group as crash creates its biggest crisis
June 13 (Reuters) - The Air India plane crash that led to the death of over 240 passengers on Thursday has plunged the airline into its biggest crisis yet and will pose a significant challenge to its efforts to revamp its reputation and fleet. The following is a timeline of the airline's troubles since its takeover by the Tata Group in January 2022. - January 2022: Auto-to-steel conglomerate Tata Group takes control of state-run carrier Air India in January 2022, in a $2.2 billion deal, ending years of struggle to privatise the financially troubled airline. The Tata Group wants to recapture Air India's lost glory and compete with Gulf carriers, like Emirates, that capture the lion's share of west-bound Indian travellers. - January 2023: Air India faces criticism and around a $35,000 fine from the country's aviation regulator for its handling of an unruly passenger on a flight from New York in November 2022, and in December on a flight from Paris to Delhi. The regulator says the airline did not follow industry standards in its handling of the passengers. - June 2023: An Air India plane flying from Delhi to San Francisco is forced to divert and land at an airport in Russia's Far East after it develops a technical issue with one of its engines. A similar incident on the same route occurs in July 2024 due to a potential issue in the cargo hold area. - March 2024: India's air safety watchdog fines the Tata Group-owned airline 8 million rupees (nearly $93,000) for violating flight duty time limitations and fatigue management systems of its flight crew. Air India did not provide adequate weekly rest, adequate rest before and after ultra-long flights or adequate rest on layovers for flight crew, violating revised rules, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. - March 2025: Air India's $400 million overhaul of its legacy aircraft's interiors has been dogged by supply chain issues that have delayed its aim of being a world class airline by months. The first such upgraded jet enters service in March 2025, later than the mid-2024 target Air India had set when it announced the overhaul. - May 2025: Air India says it expects to face around $600 million in additional costs if a ban from Pakistan's airspace lasts for a year, and asks the federal government to compensate it for the hit. Indian airlines braced for higher fuel costs and longer journey times after Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers in a tit-for-tat retaliation following an attack on tourists in Kashmir. ($1 = 86.0950 Indian rupees)
Zawya
7 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Air India's troubles under the Tata Group as crash creates its biggest crisis
The Air India plane crash that led to the death of over 240 passengers on Thursday has plunged the airline into its biggest crisis yet and will pose a significant challenge to its efforts to revamp its reputation and fleet. The following is a timeline of the airline's troubles since its takeover by the Tata Group in January 2022. - January 2022: Auto-to-steel conglomerate Tata Group takes control of state-run carrier Air India in January 2022, in a $2.2 billion deal, ending years of struggle to privatise the financially troubled airline. The Tata Group wants to recapture Air India's lost glory and compete with Gulf carriers, like Emirates, that capture the lion's share of west-bound Indian travellers. - January 2023: Air India faces criticism and around a $35,000 fine from the country's aviation regulator for its handling of an unruly passenger on a flight from New York in November 2022, and in December on a flight from Paris to Delhi. The regulator says the airline did not follow industry standards in its handling of the passengers. - June 2023: An Air India plane flying from Delhi to San Francisco is forced to divert and land at an airport in Russia's Far East after it develops a technical issue with one of its engines. A similar incident on the same route occurs in July 2024 due to a potential issue in the cargo hold area. - March 2024: India's air safety watchdog fines the Tata Group-owned airline 8 million rupees (nearly $93,000) for violating flight duty time limitations and fatigue management systems of its flight crew. Air India did not provide adequate weekly rest, adequate rest before and after ultra-long flights or adequate rest on layovers for flight crew, violating revised rules, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. - March 2025: Air India's $400 million overhaul of its legacy aircraft's interiors has been dogged by supply chain issues that have delayed its aim of being a world class airline by months. The first such upgraded jet enters service in March 2025, later than the mid-2024 target Air India had set when it announced the overhaul. - May 2025: Air India says it expects to face around $600 million in additional costs if a ban from Pakistan's airspace lasts for a year, and asks the federal government to compensate it for the hit. Indian airlines braced for higher fuel costs and longer journey times after Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers in a tit-for-tat retaliation following an attack on tourists in Kashmir. ($1 = 86.0950 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Meenakshi Maidas and Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan Fenton)
