Air India has received nine show cause notices linked to five separate safety violations in the last six months, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol made the disclosure in response to multiple questions raised by Members of Parliament.
While confirming that enforcement action has already been completed in one of the cases, the minister did not provide details of the specific violations. He also clarified that there has been no adverse trend in Air India’s crash-related reliability reports over the past six months.
Boeing 787 Fleet Inspected Following Ahmedabad Crash
The developments come weeks after the deadly crash of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which left 260 people dead and 81 injured. The aircraft, en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a medical college hostel. Of the 241 people on board, only one survived. Most of the fatalities occurred on the ground.
In the aftermath, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered inspections of Air India’s fleet of Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft. Of the total 33 aircraft, 31 operational jets were inspected, and minor issues were discovered in eight of them. These were cleared for operation after rectification. The remaining two aircraft are undergoing scheduled maintenance.
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Responding to BJP MP Ashokrao Shankarrao Chavan, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu provided these details in a written reply. Meanwhile, in a separate written response to DMK MP Kanimozhi’s question about possible sabotage in the crash, Mr Mohol stated that all angles are under investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
The DGCA has taken 254 enforcement actions so far this year, the ministry added. In comparison, 673 enforcement actions were taken in 2024 and 542 in 2023. These actions can include warnings, suspensions, cancellations, or financial penalties.