Indian civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has initiated enforcement proceedings against Air India after discovering that an emergency slide inspection on one of its aircraft was overdue, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday, reported the PTI.
In a written response to DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mohol stated that during an audit, DGCA found the overdue inspection and took immediate action.
“The DGCA immediately grounded the aircraft until the necessary rectification was completed. Enforcement action has been initiated against Air India and the responsible personnel in accordance with the DGCA’s Enforcement Policy and Procedure Manual,” the minister said, according to the PTI.
However, specific details such as the date of the audit or when the enforcement action was initiated were not disclosed.
The minister was responding to questions regarding whether the government was aware that Air India aircraft were allowed to fly with overdue emergency slide inspections in the weeks leading up to the tragic crash of flight AI 171 in June, which killed 260 people. Siva also raised concerns over whether accountability had been fixed on the DGCA for regulatory oversight failures, as per the PTI.
Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed into a building shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on 12 June en route to London Gatwick. The incident has raised questions about Air India`s maintenance protocols and the DGCA’s oversight.
In response, Mohol reiterated that DGCA monitors compliance with safety and maintenance standards through regular surveillance, spot checks, and night inspections.
“Enforcement actions can range from warnings to suspension, cancellation, or the imposition of financial penalties on the airline or personnel concerned. DGCA officials are well-trained to carry out both oversight and enforcement duties,” he noted, the news agency reported on Monday.
Meanwhile, last week, On Thursday, aviation regulator DGCA issued another four show cause notices to Air India for various violations related to cabin crew rest and duty norms, cabin crew training rules, and operational procedures. The notice from the DGCA came a month after the airline made certain voluntary disclosures to the aviation regulator, as reported by the news agency PTI.
(with PTI inputs)