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air india Investigations are ongoing and one of its aircraft has been grounded after flying on eight commercial services without a valid airworthiness review certificate, a document issued annually that ensures compliance with safety standards.
IndiaThe aviation safety regulator has confirmed it has grounded the jet and removed several staff members from duty while it investigates how the mistake occurred.
When Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) The aircraft type was not named but the aircraft’s registration code was mentioned in the headline of its news release. airbus A320, and a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed that the matter indeed concerns the single-aisle jet.
One airworthiness review certificateRenewed annually, verifies the aircraft’s maintenance records, physical condition and regulatory compliance, and is required for the jet to be legally shipped.
The airline said it reported the violations to the DGCA on November 26 and suspended the employees who were given clearance to operate the aircraft.
An Air India spokesperson said, “The incident of operating one of our aircraft without an Airworthiness Review Certificate is regrettable.” “As soon as it came to our notice, it was duly informed to DGCA and all personnel associated with the decision have been suspended pending further review.”
Aircraft included – an A320 registered VT-TQN and Was previously part of the Vistara fleet – He was getting the engine replaced when its certificate expired.
According to the DGCA, the jet was inadvertently returned to service following maintenance work, and subsequently completed eight flights on November 24 and 25, before an engineer identified the missing documentation during a routine check.
Flight-tracking data shows the plane last flew on November 25.
Typically, Air India issues these certificates itself, through its continuing airworthiness management organisation, under delegated authority.
but after Vistara merged with Air IndiaDGCA decided that the first certificate renewal for all 70 aircraft of Vistara will be directly handled by the regulator.
DGCA said it has approved 69 out of 70 jets so far. In the case of the last aircraft, the renewal application was submitted but was not complete when engine work began.
The regulator said it had launched a formal investigation and ordered the airline to “correct the deficiencies in its systems”, adding that the certificate renewal process for the plane was underway. It also described the incident as a serious security breach.
Flying without a valid airworthiness certificate is considered a major offense in India and can lead to a fine or action against senior officials. Such lapses can also raise concerns for aircraft lessors and insurers, who typically require strict adherence to airworthiness documentation.
This episode adds to a challenging year for Air India. Carrier still dealing with fallout from deadly Boeing 787 crash 260 people died in the Dreamliner crash in Juneas well as being linked to rising deficits Pakistan continues to close its airspace to Indian airlines.
The DGCA has separately warned the airline several times this year over issues including crew fatigue management and training standards, and a recent government audit recorded 51 safety lapses, ranging from unapproved simulators to poor rostering practices.
Air India said it has initiated an internal investigation in line with DGCA directions and “corrective measures will be taken to prevent such failures in future”.
The company said: “Air India remains steadfast in its commitment to maintain the highest standards of operational integrity and safety, and any deviation from mandated compliance protocols is treated extremely seriously and is unacceptable to the organization.”
The DGCA investigation will fix responsibility for the lapse and review whether the airline’s procedures for managing the airworthiness document were adequately followed.