NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator DGCA has taken punitive action against senior officials of Air India Express for failing to comply with a key airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) concerning engines on Airbus A320 aircraft.
During a recent surveillance inspection, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found that the airline had not acted on the mandated safety directive.
As a result, the regulator took enforcement action against three senior AI Express officials, Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol informed Parliament on Thursday
The DGCA cancelled the approval of the airline’s Quality Manager, issued a warning and a financial penalty of Rs1.5 lakh to the Continuing Maintenance Manager, and imposed a hefty fine of Rs30 lakh on the Accountable Manager.
While the ministry did not specify when the non-compliance occurred, it confirmed that DGCA’s actions followed its standard Enforcement Policy and Procedure Manual.
Responding to questions about possible falsification of maintenance records, the minister did not confirm those reports but reiterated that it is the airline’s responsibility to comply with all safety directives and service bulletins issued by aircraft and engine manufacturers.
The DGCA maintains regular oversight through audits, night surveillance, and ramp checks across airlines and maintenance providers.
