Regulatory authorities in India have raised serious safety concerns regarding the operational practices of Air India following the issuance of a show-cause notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The notice pertains to flights AI-358 and AI-357 operated between Delhi and Tokyo, which reportedly departed despite ongoing technical issues and logged system degradations. The airline’s crew was found to have accepted these aircraft without fully understanding the limitations outlined in the minimum equipment list (MEL), in violation of civil aviation regulations.
The DGCA highlighted a specific incident on June 28, 2025, involving non-compliance with maintenance protocols related to the lower right recirculation fan on flight AI-358. This, coupled with repeated system snags across multiple sectors, underscores deeper systemic problems about maintenance culture and safety oversight. The regulator noted that despite known issues, aircraft continued to be dispatched, indicating normalization of defects which compromise safety margins.
Background and Context
The issue becomes more pressing given recent fatalities involving a Boeing 787 operated by Air India at Ahmedabad on June 12, which resulted in the crash of flight AI-171 and the death of 260 individuals. Aviation safety expert Amit Singh commented that such repeated technical problems reflect a entrenched safety culture problem at the airline—characterized by prioritization of dispatch and paperwork over thorough system checks and defect rectification. The DGCA has vowed to investigate whether operational lapses contributed to the incident, emphasizing the need for stricter compliance and oversight.
The DGCA’s actions include enforcing appropriate sanctions under the Aircraft Rules, with a response window of 14 days for Air India. These measures signal increased regulatory scrutiny aimed at enhancing safety standards across India’s burgeoning aviation sector, especially in light of recent accidents and ongoing investigations.
