Air India Warned for Flying Airbus Jets With Unchecked Escape Slides

India’s aviation regulator has issued a warning to Air India after finding that three of its Airbus aircraft operated flights despite being overdue for mandatory inspections of critical emergency equipment—specifically, escape slides. The findings come from an investigation report and warning notices reviewed by Reuters and were sent days before the recent Air India Boeing 787-8 crash, which is unrelated to this case.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported that spot checks in May revealed overdue safety inspections on an Airbus A320, an A319, and a third unidentified Airbus jet. In one instance, an A320 operated for more than a month without the required check, flying to international destinations including Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah. Another aircraft had checks overdue by more than three months.

“The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements,” the DGCA report stated. The agency further criticized Air India for failing to respond in a timely manner to the deficiencies, calling it evidence of weak procedural control and internal oversight.

Air India, now owned by Tata Group, acknowledged the issue and stated it is accelerating the verification of all maintenance records. The airline added that in one case, the problem surfaced after an escape slide was accidentally deployed during maintenance.

DGCA said the airworthiness certificates for aircraft missing mandatory checks are considered “suspended.” The regulator also found outdated registration documents on several aircraft and cited the airline for a broader “systemic control failure.”

Legal experts say such violations could lead to civil and monetary penalties for the airline and its executives. The incident adds pressure on Air India’s ongoing transformation and safety improvements, especially in the wake of last week’s crash, which is still under investigation.


Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=air+india, https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/safety/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, reuters.com