DGCA flagged Air India’s safety lapses days before AI171 crash: Reports
New Delhi: Days before the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had raised concerns about safety protocol violations by the airline, according to a Reuters report citing official documents.
The DGCA’s internal report revealed that three of Air India’s Airbus aircraft were being operated despite overdue mandatory inspections of “critical emergency equipment,” including escape slides. These lapses were flagged during spot checks carried out last month.
One of the aircraft, an Airbus A320, reportedly flew international routes to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah with safety inspections overdue by more than a month. Another aircraft, an Airbus A319 serving domestic routes, had delayed inspections by over three months. A third case showed a delay of two days in completing required checks.
“These incidents indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which constitutes a violation of standard airworthiness and safety regulations,” the DGCA report noted. The regulator further stated that Air India had "failed to submit timely compliance responses" to identified deficiencies, reflecting weak internal oversight.
The revelations come in the wake of the fatal crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, AI171, which crashed during takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The crash killed at least 269 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board and at least 28 on the ground. Only one person onboard is reported to have survived.
Following the crash, the DGCA ordered enhanced surveillance of all Boeing 787 aircraft operated by Air India. Despite the warnings, Air India’s CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, defended the maintenance record of the ill-fated aircraft, stating that it had undergone a major inspection in June 2023 and was next due for checks in December 2025.
A multi-disciplinary investigation team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been assigned to probe the cause of the crash.
In a related development, Air India has cancelled multiple domestic and international flights, citing “enhanced maintenance and operational reasons.” Flights affected include AI906 (Dubai–Chennai), AI308 (Delhi–Melbourne), AI309 (Melbourne–Delhi), AI2204 (Dubai–Hyderabad), AI874 (Pune–Delhi), AI456 (Ahmedabad–Delhi), AI2872 (Hyderabad–Mumbai), and AI571 (Chennai–Mumbai).
The airline has not issued a statement in response to the DGCA findings.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi Police refutes WB CM's assault claim on Bengali-speaking migrants, calls video 'fabricated'
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police called a video shared by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media, alleging that a Bengali-speaking woman and her child were assaulted in the national capital for speaking their language, "fabricated" and "politically motivated."
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania on Monday said that the police took immediate cognizance of the video shared on platform 'X' by the West Bengal CM, where she claimed that the woman and her child were brutally assaulted by Delhi Police personnel.
"Upon inquiry, we identified the woman as Sanjanu Parveen. During questioning, she alleged that on the night of July 26, four men in plain clothes posing as police personnel took her and her child to a secluded spot and demanded Rs 25,000, which she claimed to have paid," Dhania said.
However, the DCP said that a detailed investigation, including analysis of CCTV footage and local intelligence, revealed inconsistencies in her story.
"During sustained questioning, the woman admitted that her relative, a political worker from Malda district in West Bengal, had asked her to make the video. The video was then circulated locally in Bengal and later surfaced on social media," the officer said.
Terming the video "baseless and fabricated", Dhania added that the footage was deliberately created to defame the Delhi Police.
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to malign the image of Delhi Police through a politically motivated narrative. The matter is still under investigation," he said.
