Parliamentary panel flags nearly half of aircraft show defects: reports

A Parliamentary panel has raised serious concerns over safety in India’s civil aviation sector, reportedly noting that nearly 50% of commercial aircraft audited over the past year exhibited recurring technical defects.

As per the report presented by the Standing Committee on Civil Aviation, 377 out of 754 aircraft inspected between January 2025 and February 2026 were found to have repeated technical issues, prompting calls for a “fundamental reset” of aviation safety mechanisms.

Among airlines, IndiGo reportedly had the highest number of aircraft reviewed, with 148 out of 405 planes showing recurring defects.

A significant proportion of defects was also recorded in the fleets of Air India and Air India Express. Of the 166 Air India aircraft inspected, 137 were found to have recurring issues, while 54 of 101 Air India Express aircraft showed similar problems. The panel noted that nearly half of all defects were concentrated in these two carriers.

The committee cautioned that the persistence of such defects could have serious implications for passenger safety and operational reliability.

The report also referred to an audit conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation between July 1 and 4, 2025, following the Ahmedabad air crash that claimed 270 lives. The audit identified around 100 safety lapses, including seven serious violations requiring immediate corrective action.

The panel reportedly highlighted concerns over pilot training gaps for Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft, instances of inadequate cabin crew on certain international flights, and violations of Flight Duty Time Limitations. In one case, a Milan–New Delhi flight exceeded permissible duty hours by over two hours.

It also pointed to regulatory action taken against airlines, noting that Air India alone received nine show-cause notices, while a total of 19 safety violation notices were issued across operators by late 2025.

As per reports, the DGCA imposed a penalty of around ₹1 crore on Air India in February 2026 for operating an Airbus A320 on multiple flights without a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate.

The committee further raised concerns over staffing shortages within the DGCA, citing a vacancy rate of 48.3%, and questioned the regulator’s capacity to effectively oversee the rapidly expanding aviation sector.