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Air India Express skipped critical engine fix, falsified records: Report

DGCA warned parent company Air India for operating three Airbus planes with overdue escape slide checks and, in June, slammed Air India Express for serious pilot duty hour violations read more India's aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in March had called out Air India Express for failing to replace engine parts on an Airbus A320, as mandated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This revelation comes amid increased scrutiny in the country's aviation sector following the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. According to a Reuters report citing official records, the airline also submitting falsified documents to fake compliance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Air India Express is a low-cost arm of Air India under the Tata Group and runs a fleet of over 115 planes, flying to more than 50 destinations with about 500 daily flights. What issues were flagged by DGCA? On March 18, the DGCA flagged issues with one of its Airbus planes, specifically aircraft VT-ATD, which flies domestic routes and international ones like Dubai and Muscat, per AirNav Radar. The regulator warned parent company Air India for operating three Airbus planes with overdue escape slide checks and, in June, slammed Air India Express for serious pilot duty hour violations. The DGCA in its notice said: 'This condition, if not corrected, could lead to failure of affected parts, possibly resulting in high energy debris release, with consequent damage to, and reduced control of, the aeroplane.' Back in 2023, EASA raised alarms about manufacturing flaws in CFM International's LEAP-1A engines, ordering airlines to replace certain parts like seals and rotating components. CFM International is the joint venture between GE Aerospace (formerly GE Aviation) and Safran Aircraft Engines, specialising in the design, manufacture, and support of commercial aircraft engines A confidential March government memo, reviewed by Reuters, showed Air India Express didn't make the required engine fixes on time for the A320. Worse, it allegedly tampered with AMOS—the software airlines use to track maintenance—to falsely show the work was done. Air India Express admitted the slip-up and said it's put corrective measures in place, according to Reuters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD