EXCLUSIVE: DGCA Slaps ₹1 Crore Penalty on Air India for Flying Aircraft with Expired Airworthiness Certificate

New Delhi: In a shocking case of negligence, Air India has been pulled up for what can only be described as reckless and irresponsible behaviour. At a time when the airline is already under intense scrutiny after the AI-171 crash, fresh revelations now show that passenger safety was put at risk in clear violation of aviation norms. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a ₹1 crore penalty on Air India after finding that aircraft VT-TQN operated multiple revenue flights with an expired Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC). This is a direct violation of Indian Aircraft Rules. 

According to the regulator’s order, the aircraft flew on November 24 and 25, 2025, despite the ARC having expired. That means passengers were flown on an aircraft that was legally non-compliant. The ARC is a key legal safety document, and flying without it breaches a fundamental safety requirement. 

Not a One-Off Error, But a Cultural Lapse

The DGCA investigation has clearly stated that this was not a one-off mistake.

The probe found “systemic organisational deficiencies”, poor inter-departmental communication, and failure of safety oversight. This points to a deeper cultural problem inside Air India.

According to the findings accessed by Republic, the aircraft operated on multiple commercial routes in 2025 even though its ARC certificate had expired long back. The whistleblower specifically mentioned October and November, including November 24 and 25. The aircraft reportedly flew on domestic as well as international routes.

The investigation found that checks were marked as complete, engineering departments and higher authorities were aware of the issue, and yet the aircraft continued flying. The allegation is that instead of grounding the aircraft, it was kept operational to complete flying hours and avoid losses.

Whistleblower Letter, Republic Impact & DGCA Action

A confidential DGCA whistleblower disclosure had alleged that the ARC had expired and yet the aircraft was cleared for scheduled commercial services. The whistleblower called it a breach of a key legal safety barrier.

The same whistleblower had earlier written to the DGCA highlighting lapses inside Air India. In that letter, concerns were raised about Air India’s airworthiness certificate oversight. Republic had broken that letter last week.

According to the transcript of the broadcast, the whistleblower had written to the DGCA long back. Investigation was conducted in December and January, and results were already available. However, the findings were not made public.

It was only after the whistleblower approached the media and Republic raised questions that the penalty order came out in the open.

The whistleblower further flagged concerns of regulatory over-accommodation post-privatisation. Questions were raised whether enforcement has been strong enough in a safety-critical sector.

On air, it was pointed out that if the letter was written in November and December and the regulator had it, why was action taken only now? Republic had accessed the exclusive DGCA penalty notice and the whistleblower letter.

There were also serious claims that there was an unwritten rule to go easy on Air India. The allegation was that a cabal inside the regulatory body was shielding the airline. The irony, as pointed out during the broadcast, is that the insider letter existed, but action was not visible until the issue came into the public domain.

The big question now is clear: When the regulator had the complaint, when investigations were done, why was the penalty not made public earlier? And in a safety-critical sector like aviation, is a ₹1 crore fine enough?