Major lapse in passenger safety: Air India aircraft operated flights without a valid safety certificate

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has uncovered a serious safety lapse. An Air India Boeing aircraft operated commercial flights for several days without a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC). This certificate is mandatory for every aircraft and must be renewed annually to confirm that the aircraft is safe and fit to fly.

As part of the ongoing merger of Vistara with Air India, it was decided that DGCA would issue the first new ARC for all 70 Vistara aircraft. After satisfactory inspections, DGCA issued new ARCs to 69 of them. For the 70th aircraft, Air India had submitted the application, but the aircraft was grounded for some time due to an engine replacement. During this period, its previous ARC expired.

After the engine replacement, the aircraft was brought back into service, but the airline failed to obtain the new ARC. On 26 November 2025, Air India informed DGCA that the aircraft had already completed eight passenger flights without a valid certificate. DGCA immediately began an investigation and grounded the aircraft with immediate effect. The process to issue the new ARC is now underway.

DGCA has taken strict action by removing the responsible staff from duty until the investigation is complete. The regulator has also directed Air India to conduct an internal review, identify the gaps, and implement strong corrective measures to ensure such lapses do not happen again. Since this matter is directly related to passenger safety, DGCA has made it clear that any breach of safety regulations will not be tolerated.