DGCA notes ‘serious findings’ in India’s top airlines during safety audits: Report

During safety audits conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA ahead of a US Federal Aviation Administration FAA assessment of India’s aviation regulator, serious findings were flagged for India’s leading airlines – IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet.

According to a report in Hindustan Times that cited sources, the DGCA completed safety audits of the four airlines in August about three months before a five-member FAA team is scheduled to visit India from November 16 to 20 to assess the country’s civil aviation regulatory oversight.

While the nature and details of the observations are unknown, serious findings in major airlines were observed during the exercise, the report stated citing a source. The airlines are expected to submit responses to the DGCA which will examine the submissions and may initiate action if the responses are unsatisfactory.

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Under the DGCA’s audit framework Level-1 findings represent more serious non-compliance requiring immediate corrective action while Level-2 findings concern less serious deficiencies needing corrective measures within a set timeframe.

An IndiGo official said the airline had responded to the DGCA findings, as per the report. Air India SpiceJet and Akasa Air did not comment. An Air India official said the airline had received some DGCA visits but was awaiting the audit.

The FAA assesses whether foreign civil aviation authorities comply with international aviation standards. Its role includes overseeing navigation and infrastructure, setting safety standards, inspecting repair stations and providing global oversight for air traffic.

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The FAA last conducted an assessment in India in 2021. India currently holds Category 1 status under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment programme.

The upcoming 2026 review follows a series of incidents and operational problems in Indian aviation over the past year including the June 2025 Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad and IndiGo’s operational disruption in December 2025.