Half of India’s audited planes show repeated snags; Air India, IndiGo top list, reveals govt data

Around half of the aircraft examined for technical deficiencies across Indian carriers have shown recurring defects, as per recent government data presented in the Lok Sabha. Of 754 planes that were analysed from six scheduled airlines since January last year, 377 were flagged for repeated technical issues. Air India Group and IndiGo accounted for a significant proportion of these cases.

IndiGo had the largest number of aircraft reviewed – 405 planes – out of which 148 had recurring defects. Air India Group, which includes Air India and Air India Express, reported an even higher ratio, with 191 out of the 267 aircraft that were checked – nearly 72 per cent – were found with repeat issues, according to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.

Breaking down the figures, 137 of Air India’s 166 aircraft had repetitive defects, while 54 of 101 planes from Air India Express were flagged. SpiceJet had 16 of its 43 aircraft identified with recurring issues, and Akasa Air reported 14 out of the 32 that were reviewed. 

An Air India spokesperson attributed the higher number of flagged aircraft to rigorous inspection protocols, stating that checks were conducted "out of an abundance of caution". The executive told news agency PTI that most issues related to lower-priority equipment, such as seats, tray tables, and screens, which fall under category D and are not related to aircraft safety. Aircraft systems are classified from category A to D based on urgency, with category D being the least critical.

Alongside airline audits, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) increased its regulatory oversight last year. The regulator carried out 3,890 surveillance inspections, 56 regulatory audits, 84 surveillance of foreign aircraft (SOFA) checks, and 492 ramp inspections as part of scheduled monitoring activities.

DGCA also conducted 874 spot checks and 550 night inspections under unplanned surveillance to address possible gaps and improve technical reliability in the industry.

To support this expanded oversight, the Ministry reported a restructuring of DGCA’s workforce. The number of sanctioned technical positions increased from 637 in 2022 to 1,063, aiming to strengthen regulatory capacity as the aviation sector grows.