Latest news with #Boeing787
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Faulty simulators, training gaps among 100 violations by Air India: Audit
India's aviation watchdog has identified around 100 safety-related violations and observations during a comprehensive audit of Air India, the Tata Group-owned carrier that now faces intensified scrutiny following June's deadly crash of Flight 171. Air India has been given until July 30 to submit a detailed report on corrective actions taken.(Bloomberg/File) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) made 51 findings containing the violations and observations during its July 1-4 audit, at least two senior officials familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times. The review was unrelated to the investigation into the June 12 crash of Air India flight 171, which claimed 260 lives. Many of the violations identified fall under 'level 1' safety classification, considered critical lapses requiring immediate corrective measures to ensure safe airline operations. Air India has been given until July 30 to submit a detailed report on corrective actions taken. 'The audit was conducted as part of steps taken to ensure world-best safety practices,' said a second official familiar with the matter, emphasising the regulator's ongoing efforts to enhance India's aviation safety framework. Also read: Air passenger complaints till June nearly 98% of total in 2024 Reuters, which first reported the story citing an 11-page confidential audit report, revealed that the violations included seven 'Level I' significant breaches requiring immediate correction by July 30, while 44 other non-compliances must be resolved by August 23. The audit, conducted by 10 DGCA inspectors and four additional auditors, uncovered critical operational gaps across multiple areas. Reuters reported that investigators found 'recurrent training gaps' amongst Boeing 787 and 777 pilots who had not completed mandatory monitoring duties ahead of periodic evaluations. Air India operates 34 Boeing 787s and 23 Boeing 777s, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. Amongst the most serious violations, Reuters reported that an Air India Boeing 787 flight from Milan to New Delhi exceeded flight duty time limitations by 2 hours and 18 minutes, classified as a 'Level I' non-compliance. The audit also found that Air India failed to conduct proper route assessments for challenging Category C airports and used simulators that did not meet qualification standards for training, the agency stated. The carrier's rostering system was criticised for lacking 'hard alerts' when minimum crew requirements weren't met, with at least four international flights operating with insufficient cabin crew, according to the Reuters report. Additional safety lapses included inconsistencies in door and equipment checks, gaps in training documentation, and the absence of chief pilots for the Airbus A320 and A350 fleets. 'This results in a lack of accountability and effective monitoring of flight operations for these aircraft types,' the audit report stated, according to Reuters. Air India acknowledged the findings, stating it was 'fully transparent' during the audit and would 'submit our response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with details of corrective actions taken.' The DGCA did not respond to requests for a comment. The audit comes as Air India faces mounting regulatory pressure. On July 23, the DGCA issued four show cause notices to the airline based on voluntary disclosures, whilst senior executives received separate notices highlighting 29 'systemic' lapses. Following the June crash, the DGCA conducted mandatory safety checks on all Boeing 787 aircraft and expressed concerns about increasing incidents involving both Air India and Air India Express flights. The regulator has given the airline one month to reassess its operations. Since its 2022 acquisition by the Tata Group, the carrier has aggressively expanded its international network, but it continues to face passenger complaints about aircraft maintenance and cabin conditions. Last year, aviation authorities issued warnings or fines to airlines in 23 instances, with 11 involving the Air India Group, Reuters reported. The largest penalty was $127,000 imposed on Air India for 'insufficient oxygen on board' during international flights. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau continues its separate investigation into the June crash, having issued a preliminary report a month after the incident. (With inputs from Reuters)
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Air India faces 51 safety lapses in DGCA audit, gets deadline for fixing
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has found 51 safety lapses at Air India, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and rostering system. An Airbus A320 aircraft, operated by Air India Ltd, prepares to land at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi(Bloomberg/File) The lapses were mentioned in an 11-page confidential audit report prepared by the aviation watchdog this month, Reuters reported. Air India has yet to comment on the report. However, the report is part of an annual audit and is not linked to the investigation into the deadly Boeing 787-8 crash last month. The audit report from the DGCA said that seven "Level I" significant breaches needed to be fixed by July 30 and 44 other non-compliances classified needed to be resolved by August 23, the report said. Also Read: DGCA issues 4 show cause notices to Air India for cabin crew rest, duty norms violations: Reports The findings in the report come a month after Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, bound for London, crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. However, the annual audit was not linked to the investigation related to the deadly crash. The DGCA officials said they found "recurrent training gaps" for some unspecified Boeing 787 and 777 pilots, who had not completed their monitoring duties, where they are made to observe the functioning of instruments in the cockpit before they can start flying. The report also flagged operational and safety risks and said that Air India did not do "proper route assessments" for some Category C airports, which have difficult layouts or terrain. The airliner only conducted stimulator training for such airfields, which doesn't meet qualification standards, the report added. "This may account to non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports," Reuters quoted the DGCA audit report as saying. The latest report comes a week after DGCA issued four show cause notices to Air India for multiple violations regarding cabin crew rest, duty norms, training rules and operational procedures. The show cause notices were issued by the DGCA came after the airline's voluntary reporting of the violations on June 20 and 21. The notices cited a total of 29 violations, including pilots not being given mandatory rest, poor compliance with training requirements and lack of training for a high-altitude airport, according to Reuters. Reacting to the fresh report, Air India reportedly said it was "fully transparent" during the audit and that it will "submit its response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions".
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
DGCA audit flags 51 safety lapses in Air India operations
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found 51 safety lapses at Air India in its July audit, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system, according to a government report seen by Reuters. The Tata Group-owned airline is already facing warning notices for running planes without checking emergency equipment, not changing engine parts in time and forging records, along with other lapses related to crew fatigue management. The 11-page confidential audit report from the aviation watchdog noted seven "Level I" significant breaches which need to be fixed by July 30, and 44 other non-compliances classified which need to be resolved by August 23. Officials said they found "recurrent training gaps" for some unspecified Boeing 787 and 777 pilots, saying they had not completed their monitoring duties ahead of mandatory periodic evaluations. Not related to Ahmedabad crash The annual audit was not related to the deadly Boeing 787 crash last month that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad, but its findings come as the airline faces renewed scrutiny after the accident. Air India's fleet includes 34 Boeing 787s and 23 Boeing 777s, according to Flightradar24 website. Flagging operational and safety risks, officials wrote in their report that Air India did not do "proper route assessments" for some so-called Category C airports - which may have challenging layouts or terrain - and conducted training for such airfields with simulators that did not meet qualification standards. "This may account to non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports," the DGCA audit report said. In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it was "fully transparent" during the audit. It added it will "submit our response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions." A preliminary report into the June crash found that the fuel control switches were flipped almost simultaneously after takeoff and there was pilot confusion in the cockpit. One pilot asked the other why he cut off the fuel and the other responded that he hadn't done so, the report said. The DGCA has often flagged concerns about Air India pilots breaching the limits of their flight-duty periods, and the audit report said an AI-787 Milan-New Delhi flight last month exceeded the limit by 2 hours and 18 minutes, calling it a "Level I" non-compliance. The audit was conducted by 10 DGCA inspectors, and included another four auditors. It also criticized the airline's rostering system, which it said "doesn't give a hard alert" if a minimum number of crew members were not being deployed on a flight, adding that at least four international flights had flown with insufficient cabin crew. Reuters reported last week that Air India's senior executives, including the airline's director of flight operations and its director of training, were sent notices on July 23 flagging 29 "systemic" lapses, pulling up the airline for ignoring "repeated" warnings. Air India has said it will respond to the regulator.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
13 hours ago
- Business Standard
Air India: DGCA audit flags 51 safety lapses, training, and crew gaps
India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has identified 51 safety-related issues during its July audit of Air India. These include insufficient pilot training, the use of simulators not approved by authorities, and a faulty rostering system, according to an official government report seen by Reuters. Although the audit is unrelated to the recent Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, it comes at a time of increased scrutiny for the airline. Significant violations, compliance deadlines The 11-page confidential DGCA report flagged seven serious 'Level I' safety breaches that must be addressed by July 30. It also listed 44 other compliance issues that need to be resolved by August 23. The report revealed 'recurrent training gaps' among some Boeing 787 and 777 pilots. These pilots reportedly failed to complete mandatory observation duties—where they monitor cockpit instruments—before their periodic evaluations. Air India operates 34 Boeing 787s and 23 Boeing 777s, as per data from Flightradar24. Training at challenging airports falls short The DGCA criticised Air India's approach to training for Category C airports—airfields that are known to have difficult layouts or surrounding terrain. According to the report, the airline used simulators that did not meet required standards for this training. 'This may account to non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports,' the report stated. Air India's response In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it had been 'fully transparent' during the audit and would 'submit our response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions.' A preliminary report into the June crash suggested confusion in the cockpit, with one pilot asking the other why he had turned off the fuel switches. The other pilot reportedly replied that he had not. Fatigue & flight-time limits breached The DGCA audit also highlighted ongoing issues with crew fatigue management. In one instance, a Milan-to-Delhi flight operated by Air India last month exceeded the legal flight-duty time limit by 2 hours and 18 minutes, which was classified as a 'Level I' violation. The audit team, which included 10 inspectors and four additional auditors, criticised the airline's rostering software for not issuing strong alerts when crew numbers fell short of required minimums. The report cited at least four international flights that departed with too few cabin crew on board. Operational oversight, passenger complaints Since Tata Group acquired Air India in 2022, the airline has expanded its global reach but continues to face complaints about service quality, including broken armrests, dirty cabins, and malfunctioning entertainment systems. Reuters recently reported that senior Air India officials, including the directors of flight operations and training, were issued notices on July 23 pointing to 29 'systemic' lapses and ignoring 'repeated' warnings. Air India has said it plans to respond. Gaps in supervision & documentation The DGCA report further noted discrepancies in 'door checks and equipment checks' and pointed out missing or incomplete training records. It also highlighted that no chief pilots had been appointed for the Airbus A320 and A350 fleets. 'This results in a lack of accountability, and effective monitoring of flight operations for these aircraft types,' the report said. Last year, aviation authorities penalised airlines 23 times for safety breaches -- 11 of which involved the Air India Group. The most severe penalty was a $127,000 fine for not maintaining adequate oxygen supply on certain international flights.
The Star
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Air India audit finds 51 safety lapses, from unapproved simulators to training gaps
The findings come as Air India faces renewed scrutiny after the deadly Boeing 787 crash in June. - Photo: Reuters NEW DELHI: India's aviation watchdog found 51 safety lapses at Air India in its July audit, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system, according to a government report seen by Reuters. The annual audit was not related to the deadly Boeing 787 crash last month that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad, but its findings come as the airline faces renewed scrutiny after the accident. The Tata Group-owned airline is already facing warning notices for running planes without checking emergency equipment, not changing engine parts in time and forging records, along with other lapses related to crew fatigue management. The 11-page confidential audit report from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted seven "Level I" significant breaches which need to be fixed by July 30, and 44 other non-compliances classified which need to be resolved by August 23. Officials said they found "recurrent training gaps" for some unspecified Boeing 787 and 777 pilots, saying they had not completed their monitoring duties - where they don't fly but observe functioning of instruments in the cockpit - ahead of mandatory periodic evaluations. Air India's fleet includes 34 Boeing 787s and 23 Boeing 777s, according to Flightradar24 website. Flagging operational and safety risks, officials wrote in their report that Air India did not do "proper route assessments" for some so-called Category C airports - which may have challenging layouts or terrain - and conducted training for such airfields with simulators that did not meet qualification standards. "This may account to non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports," the DGCA audit report said. In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it was "fully transparent" during the audit. It added it will "submit our response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions." A preliminary report into the June crash found that the fuel control switches were flipped almost simultaneously after takeoff and there was pilot confusion in the cockpit. One pilot asked the other why he cut off the fuel and the other responded that he hadn't done so, the report said. The DGCA has often flagged concerns about Air India pilots breaching the limits of their flight-duty periods, and the audit report said an AI-787 Milan-New Delhi flight last month exceeded the limit by 2 hours and 18 minutes, calling it a "Level I" non-compliance. The audit was conducted by 10 DGCA inspectors, and included another four auditors. It also criticised the airline's rostering system, which it said "doesn't give a hard alert" if a minimum number of crew members were not being deployed on a flight, adding that at least four international flights had flown with insufficient cabin crew. Tata acquired Air India from the government in 2022. While it has aggressively expanded its international network, it faces persistent complaints from passengers, who often take to social media to show soiled seats, broken armrests, non-operational entertainment systems and dirty cabin areas. Reuters reported last week that Air India's senior executives, including the airline's director of flight operations and its director of training, were sent notices on July 23 flagging 29 "systemic" lapses, pulling up the airline for ignoring "repeated" warnings. Air India has said it will respond to the regulator. The audit report noted that "door checks and equipment checks" showed inconsistency with procedures and there were gaps in training documentation. Further, it said no chief pilots were assigned for Airbus A320 and A350 fleet. "This results in a lack of accountability, and effective monitoring of flight operations for these aircraft types," the report said. Last year, authorities warned or fined airlines in 23 instances for safety violations, with 11 involving the Air India Group. The biggest fine was $127,000 on Air India for "insufficient oxygen on board" during some international flights. - Reuters
