Air India is once again under investigation by the country’s aviation regulator for breaching safety rules. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday that it is investigating the airline for operating an Airbus A320 on eight separate occasions without the necessary airworthiness certificate, a document confirming compliance with safety standards.

This news comes after Air India has been repeatedly warned by the DGCA over air safety violations, including operating aircraft despite them being overdue mandatory safety checks, and after it emerged that the regulator’s annual audit of the airline found over 50 safety lapses. This latest violation will likely result in heavy penalties, and the suspension of top airline officials is also a possibility.

Eight Flights Without A Valid Airworthiness Certificate

Air India is still dealing with the fallout of the Flight 171 accident in June, when a Boeing 787-8 crashed upon departure from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people and casting a long shadow over the safety culture at the airline. Since then, Air India has been repeatedly warned about scores of lapses in its safety procedures, and even had pilots suspended for breaches of their licenses.

The DGCA says that the current aircraft under investigation was grounded for an engine change, during which it was noted that the airworthiness certificate had expired, but the aircraft was still released for commercial service after the work was completed. It went on to operate eight flights in late November before an engineer finally detected the safety lapse. The aircraft was pulled from service, and Air India says that it has suspended all those who were involved with the decision to release the aircraft without a valid license.

A senior official at the DGCA noted that the aircraft remained grounded pending the regulator’s investigation, and emphasized the seriousness of the safety breach:

“By operating an aircraft which was not certified to be airworthy, the carrier has risked flight safety and that of all the passengers. This is a serious violation and not expected from a mainline carrier like Air India.”

Safety Violations With The Narrowbody Fleet

This is not the first safety incident with Air India’s narrowbody fleet this year. Back in July, the airline was warned by the DGCA for repeatedly breaching safety rules after it found that three of its Airbus narrowbody fleet were flying despite being up to three months overdue on mandatory safety checks. Reuters also reported that the DGCA’s annual audit of the airline found no fewer than 51 safety lapses.

Air India (including Air India Express) operates an all-Airbus narrowbody fleet of nearly 160 aircraft, made up of a mix of aircraft types and generations. The most numerous type is the A320neo, which has gradually been replacing the older generation A319s and A320s. More recently, the carrier has also been introducing A321neos to the fleet.

Air India is notable for having one of the largest order books with Airbus after a 250-aircraft order in late 2023, followed up by an order for an additional 100 aircraft in December of last year. The airline has adjusted these orders multiple times, notably shifting some of its original orders for A320neos to A321neos. Airbus’ latest data shows that Air India has orders for 90 A320neos and 210 A321neos yet to be fulfilled.

Air India Faces Large Penalties

To receive a Certificate of Airworthiness, which is issued by the DGCA and renewed annually, an aircraft must conform to its certificated type design and be in a condition for safe operation. This includes compliance with all applicable safety standards, validation of technical data and maintenance records, and passing a physical inspection.

An airline typically starts the work of renewal of its certificates at least three months before the due date, so there is no interruption to the normal operations of the aircraft. It is virtually impossible for a certification to « slip through the cracks » if the airline is conducting proper fleet management. Beyond that, engineers conduct daily checks on whether all documents and approvals are in line, so the fact that an A320 flew eight times with an expired license raises a lot of questions about Air India’s safety culture.

The DGCA is expected to categorize the incident as a Level 1 violation, defined as « a critical lapse that directly affects flight safety. » This would lead to Air India facing heavy penalties and even result in suspension of top officials at the airline. The carrier could also be in trouble with its lessors, as operating an aircraft with an expired license invalidates insurance.