Air India Faces Scrutiny Following European Aviation Safety Lapses Concerns

Air India Faces EU Aviation Safety Agency Concerns over Safety Deficiencies

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has expressed concern over multiple safety deficiencies involving Air India, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, following unexpected aircraft inspections at airports across Europe. The inspections uncovered several issues, prompting the Cologne-based regulator to alert the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Key Safety Metrics:

• January observations: 1.96 per aircraft check
• Current ratio: 1.76 as of last week
• Target threshold: Below 1.0 for consistently strong safety records

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Regulatory Response:

• The DGCA stepped up monitoring of Air India following the EASA alert
• The regulator instructed the airline to adopt corrective measures to prevent fallout for its services to European destinations
• Air India has conducted over 100 internal inspections, and the regulator is examining aircraft scheduled for overseas services

Safety Assessment:

• The Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) system involves unannounced examinations of 54 different safety and compliance parameters
• Inspectors verify emergency equipment, documentation, and crew member qualifications and medical fitness
• Aircraft must meet compliance requirements and have defects rectified before being cleared for further flights

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Infrastructure Challenges:

• Air India's ageing fleet contributes to the high number of discrepancies
• A $400-million programme to refurbish older aircraft has encountered major delays due to supply-chain disruptions
• Addressing cabin-related snags has taken longer due to the large portion of the fleet comprising older aircraft