The DGCA issued a notice in New Delhi on December 2 that Air India staff who authorised an Airbus A320—meant to carry 164 passengers—to fly eight commercial routes in November, even though the aircraft’s airworthiness licence had expired, are now suspended from duty until the regulator finishes reviewing the breach.
The regulator said working papers are currently under scrutiny and that the operator has been told to keep the plane grounded.
“The Airworthiness Review Certificate process is in progress. Concerned personnel have been de‑rostered with immediate effect pending investigation. Air India, on the instructions of the DGCA, is carrying out an internal investigation to identify deficiencies in their system and put corrective measures in place to prevent such failures from occurring in future,” the DGCA added.
Within Air India, the Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) is responsible for issuing an annual Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) to keep the Certificate of Airworthiness valid.
Per the regulatory brief, an ARC is handed out each year after a thorough review of an aircraft’s maintenance log, physical condition and adherence to all airworthiness requirements, serving as confirmation that the main Certificate of Airworthiness remains up to date.
When Vistara was integrated into Air India in 2024, authorities decided that the first post‑merger ARC for all 70 former Vistara jets would be issued directly by the regulator rather than by the airline’s own delegated team.
“Till date, ARC for all the 69 aircraft has been issued by the DGCA after satisfactory compliance by the operator. In respect of the 70th aircraft, the operator filed an application with the DGCA and subsequently the aircraft was grounded for an engine change. During this period, the ARC expired. However, the aircraft was released for service after an engine change,” the DGCA explained.
The aircraft in question flew eight trips between November 24 and 25. On November 26, Air India notified the DGCA that the plane had operated those “eight revenue sectors” while its ARC had lapsed.
The airline called the episode “regrettable” and said it had launched a detailed internal probe.
“As soon as the incident 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.
The company also stated that it remains steadfast in its dedication to operational integrity and safety, and that any deviation from mandated compliance protocols is taken very seriously and is unacceptable.
In an unrelated tragedy, a London‑bound Air India flight crashed 32 seconds after departing Ahmedabad on June 12. Among the 12 crew and 229 passengers on board, only one passenger survived. On the ground, 19 people lost their lives and 67 were seriously injured.
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