Months After AI-171 Crash, Air India Plane Flies Eight Times Without Valid Certificate; DGCA May Classify It As Level-1 Violation

New Delhi: In a fresh safety breach months after the AI-171 crash in Mumbai raised questions over operational oversight, Air India has admitted that one of its Airbus A320 aircraft operated eight commercial flights on November 24 and 25 despite its Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) having expired.

The lapse triggered strong concerns within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has launched a full-fledged investigation and grounded the aircraft.

According to top aviation sources, the issue came to light only after an Air India engineer, during the routine night halt inspection, discovered that the ARC had lapsed. Prior to that, the 164-seater A320 had completed eight sectors without the mandatory certification that confirms an aircraft is airworthy. 

Captain SS Panesar, former Director of Flight Safety for Indian Airlines, has also flagged the situation in a formal complaint.

DGCA Orders Probe, Incident Likely To Be Classified As Level-1 Violation

The DGCA, in a press release, said that Air India formally notified the civil aviation about the lapse on November 26, 2025, admitting that the aircraft had operated on an expired ARC for eight revenue flights.

“…On November 26, 2025, operator informed DGCA about the flying of the aircraft on the expired ARC for eight revenue sectors… DGCA has ordered an investigation and instructed the operator to ground the aircraft. ARC process is in progress. Personnel concerned have been de-rostered with immediate effect pending investigation. Air India, on the instructions of DGCA, is carrying out internal investigation to identify deficiencies in their system and put corrective measures in place to prevent such failures from occurring in future,” the DGCA said.

The DGCA has summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and CTO Sirisa Kant Dash for explanations on this serious lapse.

DGCA officials noted that the discovery during a routine night-halt inspection raises troubling concerns.

“After daily operations, when the aircraft is parked for a night halt, an engineer must check whether all documents and approvals are in line. That the plane flew eight times with an expired ARC raises a lot of questions about Air India’s safety culture,” an official said.

Sources said the regulator is likely to classify the episode as a Level-1 violation, the most serious category under India’s civil aviation enforcement framework, reserved for breaches “critical to flight safety”.

Staff Suspended, Aircraft Grounded

The airline has said it has suspended all personnel involved in clearing the aircraft for commercial service without verifying its airworthiness status. The A320 remains grounded as both internal and DGCA inquiries proceed.

“Air India remains unwavering in its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of operational integrity and safety and any deviation from mandated compliance protocols is treated with utmost seriousness and is unacceptable to the organisation. An incident involving one of our aircraft operating without an airworthiness review certificate is regrettable. As soon as this came to our notice, it was duly reported to the DGCA and all personnel associated with the decision have been placed under suspension, pending further review. We have initiated a comprehensive internal investigation and are fully cooperating with the regulator,” an Air India spokesperson said.

Routes A320 Undertook With Expired Licence

Among the eight routes on which Air India operated its aircraft with the expired licence are:

• Mumbai to Bhuj 
• Bengaluru to Mumbai
• Delhi to Bengaluru 
• Rajkot to Delhi
• Delhi to Rajkot

The airline flew its aircraft on three other routes with an expired Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).

‘Serious Violation, Risks Passenger Safety’

Sources in the civil aviation termed the lapse “shocking and unacceptable.”

“By operating an aircraft that 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,” a senior official said.

Sources emphasised that while DGCA teams conduct periodic spot checks, the operator is ultimately responsible for ensuring that every aircraft remains airworthy at all times. They noted that modern monitoring systems and Air India’s own Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) are designed precisely to prevent such oversights.

The episode comes at a time when Air India is already being scrutinised for operational lapses following the AI-171 crash on June 12 that left 260 people dead. The latest incident is expected to intensify the DGCA’s focus on the Tata-owned carrier’s maintenance and compliance processes.

It is the latest in a series of operational issues involving Air India. In earlier cases, senior executives, including CEO Campbell Wilson, received show-cause notices for allowing aircraft to operate with parts that had crossed their approved service limits. The regulator had also suspended the head of Air India’s engineering quality department for audit-related lapses.

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