Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a penalty of $110,350 (around Rs 1 crore) for operating an Airbus aircraft eight flights without a valid airworthiness permit,
according to a confidential order issued earlier this month, news agency Reuters reported.
An Airbus A320 flew passengers between New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on November 24 to 25 without the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate, or ARC, a key permit issued annually by the regulator after a plane passes safety and compliance checks.
As per the order dated February 5, 2026, issued to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson Joint Director General of Civil Aviation Maneesh Kumar noted that the security lapse had “further eroded public confidence and adversely impacted the safety compliance of the organisation.”
An internal investigation conducted by Air India described the incident as a result of “systemic failures” and acknowledged the urgent need to strengthen its compliance culture. The probe also reportedly blamed pilots who operated the eight flights, saying they did not follow standard operating procedures before take-off, the news agency reported.
The regulator held the airline’s accountable manager responsible for the breach and directed the carrier to deposit the penalty within 30 days.
The airline has faced increased scrutiny over safety practices in recent months. It had earlier received warnings from the watchdog for operating aircraft without checking emergency equipment and for other audit lapses.
The latest penalty came months after Air India suffered its worst disaster on June 12 after a London-bound Boeing Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. 275 people lost their lives including 120 men, 124 women, and 16 children.
(With inputs from Reuters)
