DGCA Reprimands Air India Express for Delayed Airbus Engine Fix, Record Forgery

India's aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), reprimanded Air India Express in March for failing to timely replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as mandated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and for falsifying records to indicate compliance. The issue, involving CFM International LEAP-1A engine components such as seals and rotating parts, was flagged months before the June Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 people and remains under investigation. The EASA had issued an airworthiness directive in 2023 due to manufacturing defects that could cause engine part failures, potentially leading to catastrophic damage and loss of aircraft control. Alongside Air India Express, parent company Air India has also faced regulatory warnings this year for overdue safety checks and serious violations of pilot duty regulations. Air India Express, a Tata Group subsidiary operating over 115 aircraft on 500 daily flights to more than 50 destinations, acknowledged the DGCA's findings and reported taking remedial and preventive measures. These regulatory actions highlight ongoing safety concerns within Air India and its subsidiaries following the recent fatal crash.