50% Aircraft Audited In Last One Year In India Showed Repeated Tech Defects

A parliamentary panel has flagged serious safety concerns in India's aviation sector, pointing to widespread recurring defects in commercial aircraft and calling for a fundamental reset of the country's safety architecture, sources told NDTV, citing the report.

The Standing Committee on Civil Aviation, in its latest findings based on a Directorate General of Civil Aviation audit, noted that out of 754 commercial aircraft inspected between January 2025 and February 2026, as many as 377 showed recurring technical defects.

Sources said nearly half of these issues were concentrated in Air India and Air India Express.

Of the 166 Air India aircraft audited, 137 were found to have repeated defects. In Air India Express, 54 out of 101 aircraft inspected reported persistent technical problems.

The report also flagged findings from a detailed DGCA audit of Air India conducted between July 1 and 4, 2025, following the Ahmedabad crash. Around 100 safety lapses were identified, including seven Level 1 violations requiring immediate corrective action.

According to sources, the audit pointed to gaps in recurrent pilot training for Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft, instances of insufficient cabin crew on at least four international flights, and violations of flight duty time limitations. In one case, a Milan to New Delhi flight exceeded the permitted limit by over two hours.

The panel further noted that Air India was issued nine show cause notices by the DGCA for safety violations.

By late 2025, the regulator had issued 19 safety violation notices across operators, citing breaches such as flight duty time limitation violations, lapses in quality assurance, unauthorised cockpit access, and operation of aircraft with expired emergency equipment.

In February 2026, the DGCA imposed a penalty of around Rs 1 crore on Air India for operating an Airbus A320 on eight flights without a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate during November 2025.

The committee has also raised concerns about the regulator's own capacity. With a vacancy rate of 48.3 per cent, the panel has questioned whether the DGCA is adequately equipped to oversee a rapidly expanding aviation sector.

Sources said the committee has recommended urgent structural reforms to strengthen oversight and ensure stricter compliance across airlines.