- DGCA fined Air India Rs 1 crore for flying Airbus without airworthiness permit
- An Airbus A320 flew eight sectors without the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate
- Incident occurred on Nov 24-25 on routes between Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad
Civil aviation watchdog (DGCA) has fined Tata Group-owned Air India Rs 1 crore or $110,350 for flying an Airbus plane eight times without an airworthiness permit, saying the lapse has further eroded public trust in the country's second-biggest airline, reported news agency Reuters citing a confidential order. An Airbus A320 flew passengers between New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on November 24 and November 25 without the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate, or ARC, a key permit issued annually by the aviation watchdog after an airplane passes safety and compliance checks.
DGCA on Dec. 2 last year, said it was probing the incident of Air India operating an A320 neo plane without having a requisite airworthiness certification on at least eight routes. "Air India acknowledges the receipt of a DGCA order in relation to an incident that was voluntarily reported back in 2025. All identified gaps have since been satisfactorily addressed and shared with the authority," the airline said in a statement. The airline has been asked to deposit the fine within 30 days.
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On Nov. 26, 2025, the airline informed the DGCA about the flying of the A320 aircraft with the expired ARC on eight revenue sectors. ARC is issued annually in respect of an aircraft after a comprehensive review of its maintenance records, physical condition and verification of compliance with all airworthiness standards. It is a validation of an aircraft's main certificate of airworthiness. Under the norms, Air India has been delegated the powers to issue the ARC for an aircraft.
Air India suffered its worst disaster when a Boeing Dreamliner crashed moments after take-off in June last year, killing as many as 260 people, including cabin crew, passengers, and civilians on ground at the time of crash. The Airbus incident investigation by Air India blamed pilots, saying those who flew the eight flights did not comply with standard operating procedures before taking off, according to Reuters. Air India, which is owned by Singapore Airlines, along with the Tata Group, has received warnings from the aviation watchdog for running planes without checking emergency equipment as well as other audit lapses.
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