DGCA asks Air India to focus on aircraft safety and maintenance

Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday reviewed the operations of Air India and Air India Express following the recent plane crash in Ahmedabad and expressed concerns over recent maintenance-related issues. The aviation regulation body directed the airline to boost inter-department coordination. The DGCA in a statement said the recent surveillance of Air India Boeing 787 planes did not reveal any major safety concern.

The DGCA held a high-level meeting with senior officials from Air India and Air India Express, which collectively operate over 1,000 daily flights across domestic and international routes.

The purpose of the meeting was to assess operational resilience and reaffirm both carriers’ adherence to safety standards and passenger service regulations. A total of 7 key focus areas were discussed during the session,



centred on maintaining regulatory compliance and enhancing operational reliability, the DGCA said.

The civil aviation regulator said the impact of recent airspace closures, particularly over Iranian airspace, was reviewed and the closures have led to flight diversions, delays, and cancellations. “The operators have been asked to ensure timely communication with passengers and crew and adopt alternate routing strategies to minimise disruptions,” the DGCA said.

During the review meeting, the DGCA said the operators were reminded of their obligations under the relevant Civil Aviation Requirements Section 3 Series M Part IV & V, to inform passengers well in advance regarding delays and cancellations. Emphasis was placed on effective passenger facilitation and timely dissemination of information through all available channels.