DGCA Flagged Air India Safety Breaches Before Ahmedabad Incident
Just days before an Air India Airbus A320neo suffered a serious mid-air malfunction during a flight from Ahmedabad, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a formal warning to the airline, citing multiple safety and maintenance lapses across its fleet. The regulator’s pre-incident inspection report had identified non-compliance issues that, in hindsight, bear striking relevance to the subsequent incident.
The flight in question, AI-171, experienced a dramatic cabin pressure drop after a fuselage panel became dislodged mid-flight. Though the aircraft managed to make an emergency landing without fatalities, several passengers and crew members sustained injuries due to the sudden decompression. Initial investigations have revealed that this mechanical failure may have stemmed from overlooked maintenance procedures—procedures the DGCA had flagged as part of their routine audit.
DGCA warning
In its audit communication, the DGCA noted glaring deficiencies such as expired safety equipment, lapses in oxygen bottle checks, malfunctioning fire extinguishers, and outdated flight operation manuals. These findings were not isolated to a single aircraft, but represented a pattern observed across multiple Air India jets. The regulator had issued a stern advisory instructing Air India to rectify all deficiencies immediately and reinforce internal oversight mechanisms.
Air India safety
Despite assurances of prompt action, the Ahmedabad flight incident raised critical questions about the airline’s follow-through on those directives. The specific panel fault involved in the incident is suspected to be a result of improper inspection or mounting—procedural areas the DGCA had red-flagged just days earlier. Air India, in response, has launched a comprehensive internal safety audit and is now working in coordination with Airbus and technical experts to re-inspect all similar aircraft in its fleet.
Airbus safety concerns
The incident has triggered a broader regulatory review of airline safety culture in India. DGCA sources indicate that random, unscheduled audits of all major airlines will be stepped up, and consequences for repeated lapses will be made significantly stricter. Aviation analysts have pointed out that this near-disaster underscores systemic weaknesses in maintenance compliance and the pressing need for improved training, documentation, and reporting protocols within airline operations.
Air India has committed to correcting all issues highlighted by the regulator and has pledged full cooperation with the inquiry into the Ahmedabad incident. However, for many in the industry, this episode serves as a stark reminder that proactive safety vigilance—not reactive damage control—must be the new standard.
