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.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
