70% of Air India aircraft found ‘unfit’, technical faults detected in 7 out of 10 planes; government makes major disclosure

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A serious concern has emerged regarding passenger safety in air travel. The central government has informed Parliament that Air India currently has the worst technical record among Indian airlines. According to official data, seven out of every ten Air India aircraft have reported one or more technical faults, indicating that nearly 70 percent of its fleet is technically “unfit”.

The government stated that between January 2025 and February 3 this year, a total of 377 aircraft across various airlines were found to have repeated technical issues. Among all airlines, Air India accounted for the highest number of such cases.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol shared this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. He said that 166 Air India aircraft were examined, out of which 137 were found to have recurring technical problems. This ratio is higher than that of any other airline. Tata Group’s Air India Express also showed worrying figures, with 54 out of 101 aircraft reporting repeated faults. India’s largest airline IndiGo saw technical issues in 148 of its 405 aircraft during analysis.

Other private airlines also recorded faults. Out of 43 SpiceJet aircraft inspected, 16 were found to have technical problems. Similarly, Akasa Air reported repeated issues in 14 out of 32 aircraft examined. To monitor safety standards, the aviation regulator DGCA conducted 3,890 surveillance inspections.

However, there is some relief as the overall number of technical fault incidents during flights has declined over the past three years. In 2024, a total of 421 technical fault cases were reported, lower than 448 incidents recorded in the previous year. The DGCA follows a structured safety monitoring system that includes surprise inspections and regulatory audits. If violations or deficiencies are detected, strict action is taken against airlines and corrective measures are enforced.