DGCA Probes Air India Express Over False Engine Records
Air India Express is under scrutiny from India’s aviation regulator for allegedly forging aircraft maintenance records and failing to comply with a key airworthiness directive. According to an internal memo cited by Reuters, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) flagged the low-cost airline in May 2025 for altering engine maintenance logs related to a CFM LEAP-1A-powered Airbus A320neo.
The issue stems from EASA Airworthiness Directive 2023-0108, issued in May 2023, which required the timely replacement of faulty engine seals, compressor spools, and turbine rotor disks in LEAP-1A engines. The DGCA alleges that Air India Express failed to meet the mandated replacement timeline and manipulated records to show false compliance.
The incident reportedly involves one aircraft—a 2020 A320neo, registration VT-ATD. The airline said the delay was due to a system migration in its maintenance monitoring software and claimed it replaced the parts as soon as the issue was identified. In response, the carrier dismissed its quality manager and suspended the deputy airworthiness manager.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which jointly oversees LEAP-1A engine safety with the U.S. FAA, confirmed it would investigate the matter further in coordination with engine manufacturer CFM International and the DGCA.
Air India Express did not respond to requests for comment.
According to ch-aviation data, the airline operates 12 A320neo, 3 A321neo, 24 A320ceo, 49 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and 26 Boeing 737-800s—all powered by LEAP-1A or CFM56 engines.
Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=air+india, https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com