Is Your Air Travel Really Safe? DGCA Audit Reveals Which Airlines Carry Higher Risk And Which Are Safer - Details

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has released its latest airline safety audit, raising an important question for passengers: which airlines face more compliance issues and which are safer bets?

According to the audit, Alliance Air topped the list with 57 findings, making it the airline with the most flagged issues. Air India, the country’s flag carrier, followed closely with 51 findings.

According to Reuters report, DGCA had found 51 safety lapses at Air India in its July audit, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system. The audit was not related to the deadly Boeing 787 crash last month that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad.

Also Read: Not 1 or 2! DGCA Flags 51 Safety Lapses In Air India Audit: Report

Ghodawat Star came next with 41 findings, while Quick Jet had 35, and Air India Express recorded 25. IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, reported 23 findings, all of which were of medium seriousness (Level 2).

In contrast, Tata SIA Airlines (Vistara) and SpiceJet had fewer findings, with 17 and 14, respectively. Tata SIA Airlines, however, had the highest number of serious Level 1 findings (10), mainly related to procedural issues, while Air India recorded 7 Level 1 findings.

Experts say Level 1 findings are more serious, requiring airlines to act within a week, while Level 2 findings give operators a month to comply.

The DGCA clarified that higher findings do not necessarily mean an airline is unsafe. “The quantum and scale of their activities mean that such observations reflect the breadth and depth of their operations rather than any unusual lapse,” it said.

The regulator did not detail what kind of lapses were found but divided the list of breaches into "Level I", which are significant breaches, and "Level II", which are other non-compliances. In total, 19 "Level I" breaches were found at Indian Airlines, the DGCA said.

Still, the audit shows that Alliance Air and Air India face greater scrutiny, while airlines like SpiceJet and IndiGo recorded fewer serious compliance concerns. The DGCA said it is closely monitoring corrective actions and assured that India’s aviation safety standards remain globally aligned.