Air India Fined $110,000 for Operating Flights Without Mandatory Safety Permit
India’s civil aviation regulator has fined Air India 10 million rupees (about $110,350) after an Airbus A320 operated eight passenger flights without a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), a crucial annual safety clearance. The aircraft flew between New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on November 24–25 without the permit, which confirms that a plane meets safety and compliance standards.
A confidential penalty order dated February 5 cited “systemic failures” within the airline and said the lapse had further eroded public confidence while adversely affecting safety compliance. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held the airline’s accountable manager, including CEO Campbell Wilson, responsible for the violation and directed the company to deposit the fine within 30 days. Air India did not respond to requests for comment.
The airline’s internal investigation also found that pilots operating the flights failed to follow standard operating procedures before departure. The incident adds to a series of regulatory concerns surrounding the Tata Group–owned carrier, which has previously been warned for safety and audit lapses. Air India suffered its deadliest disaster in recent years when a Boeing Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff last June, killing 260 people.
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