Air India Express Officials Penalized for Airworthiness Directive Lapse

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken disciplinary action against Air India Express senior officials for non-compliance with an airworthiness directive. The incident, involving the Airbus A320, resulted in fines and warnings for management, as revealed by Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol in the Lok Sabha.

In a significant regulatory move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed penalties on senior officials of Air India Express for their failure to adhere to a crucial airworthiness directive. Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, informed the Lok Sabha of these actions on Thursday.

During routine oversight, DGCA inspectors discovered that Air India Express did not comply with the directive concerning the Airbus A320's engines. The laxity resulted in punitive measures against the airline's management, including cancelling the Quality Manager's approval, issuing a Rs 1.5 lakh warning to the Continuing Maintenance Manager, and a Rs 30 lakh fine for the Accountable Manager.

The DGCA employs a stringent approach to ensure compliance, including planned and unannounced inspections, audits, and checks, as highlighted by its annual surveillance plan. Mohol emphasized that airlines must rigorously follow directives issued by the aircraft's country of origin to maintain airworthiness.

(With inputs from agencies.)