Safety Oversight: DGCA Slaps Air India with ₹1 Crore Fine for Expired Permit

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sent a clear message to India’s second-largest carrier: safety is non-negotiable. On Friday, February 13, 2026, the regulator finalized a ₹1 crore penalty against Air India following a months-long investigation into a “serious” airworthiness breach that occurred in late 2025.

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The fine addresses a lapse where a commercial aircraft flew hundreds of passengers across major Indian metros—New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad—while legally unfit for flight due to a missing annual safety clearance.

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The ARC Lapse: Eight Flights into Danger

The central issue involves the Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC). An ARC is a mandatory annual validation of an aircraft’s main Certificate of Airworthiness, issued only after a physical inspection and a thorough review of maintenance records.

• The Incident: On November 24 and 25, 2025, an Airbus A320 bearing registration VT-TQN completed eight revenue sectors.

• The Oversight: Despite the ARC having expired, the aircraft was released for service following an engine change.

• The Detection: The error was only caught after eight flights when an engineer flagged the missing paperwork on November 26, leading to a voluntary disclosure by the airline.

DGCA’s Scathing Order: “Erosion of Public Trust”

In a confidential order dated February 5 and released on Friday, Joint Director General Maneesh Kumar used unusually strong language. He stated that the incident had “further eroded public confidence” and “adversely impacted the safety compliance of the organization.”

This penalty comes at a sensitive time for the airline. Air India is still grappling with the fallout from the June 2025 Ahmedabad crash involving a Boeing Dreamliner, which claimed 260 lives. The regulator noted that such recurring “casual approaches” to safety documentation are unacceptable for a global carrier.

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Investigative Layer: The Vistara Merger Connection

Behind the “systemic failure” lies the complexity of the Air India-Vistara merger.

• Regulatory Shift: Following the merger in November 2024, the DGCA took over the responsibility for the first ARC renewals for Vistara’s fleet of 70 aircraft.

• The One That Got Away: While 69 aircraft were cleared, VT-TQN (a former Vistara plane) fell through the cracks during an engine replacement downtime.

• The Internal Blame: Air India’s internal report blamed a “convergence of multiple latent organizational deficiencies,” citing that both maintenance engineers and pilots failed to verify the onboard documents before departure.

CEO Campbell Wilson and the “Accountable Manager” Clause

Under DGCA rules, every airline must designate an “Accountable Manager” who bears ultimate legal responsibility for safety. The regulator has found CEO Campbell Wilson blameworthy in this capacity.

• Management Shakeup: Reports suggest this latest fine has accelerated discussions within the Tata Group about finding a new CEO, as Wilson’s contract is set to expire in mid-2027.

• Engineering Fallout: Beyond the fine, the DGCA has ordered the removal of specific post-holders in the engineering department who were directly responsible for the aircraft’s release.

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[AIR INDIA SAFETY RECORD: KEY INCIDENTS (2025-2026)]

Next Steps

If you are a frequent flyer with Air India, you should check for updated safety certification notices often posted near the boarding gates, as the airline has pledged to increase transparency. Furthermore, if you are interested in the engineering aspect, you should look for the upcoming DGCA report on “Digital ARC Systems” expected in April 2026, which aims to automate permit tracking to prevent human error.

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