Safety Lapses Uncovered: Air India Under Scrutiny After Audit

India's aviation safety regulator discovered 51 safety lapses at Air India during its July audit. Among the findings were inadequate training of pilots, use of unapproved simulators, and a flawed rostering system. The audit preceded a deadly Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, intensifying scrutiny on Tata Group-owned Air India.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) 11-page confidential report identified critical safety breaches requiring urgent attention, calling them 'Level I' non-compliances. Notable findings included recurrent training gaps for some pilots and failures to conduct proper route assessments for challenging airports. Additionally, issues like crew fatigue and the airline's failure to change engine parts in time came under spotlight.

Despite the transparency claimed by Air India during the audit, officials flagged significant operational risks and said the airline must adhere to corrective timelines. Concerns over the airline's fleet management were raised, critiquing the lack of assigned chief pilots for Airbus A320 and A350 fleets, posing accountability challenges in flight operations.