Aviation regulator sends notice to Air India for flying aircraft with repeated snags

Air India has been issued a show-cause notice by the aviation regulator DGCA for operating flight AI-358 and AI-357 between Delhi and Tokyo with prior knowledge of repeated snags and existing system degradation.

In its notice issued on December 29, the DGCA said the operating crew accepted the aircraft “without adequate understanding of MEL (minimum equipment list) limitations and system interdependencies”. MEL is a mandatory requirement under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs).

“Repetitive snags related to the same systems had been recorded on five previous sectors, indicating a known history of system degradation. Despite the above, the pilots of Flights AI-358 and AI-357, including yourself, accepted the aircraft for operation with prior knowledge of repeated snags and existing system degradations,” said the regulator.

The DGCA specifically lists that on 28.06.2025, there was non-compliance with MEL “O” conditions related to the lower right recirculation fan on AI-358, citing a violation of CAR rules.

It further said that the operating crew failed to assess the combined operational and safety impact of multiple inoperative systems as required under CAR rules.

DGCA has issued show cause notice to pilots and Air India for initiating appropriate enforcement action under relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and CAR for the cited violations. They have been given 14 days to respond to the notice.

An investigation is already on over the Air India AI171 crash at Ahmedabad of Boeing 787 on June 12, killing 260 people.

Amit Singh, an aviation safety expert, called it a same old story and not a “crew issue” rather predictable Air India culture problem -- Dispatch despite known degradation, normalisation of defects, paper compliance over real safety and punish pilots.

“Another B787, repeated snags, MEL juggling, Smoke smell. Yet aircraft keep flying, until pilots are blamed. Another Show Cause. When safety failures become routine, accidents stop being surprises,” tweeted Singh, who runs Safety Matters Foundation.