NEW DELHI – Air India Express, the budget carrier owned by Air India, has been sharply criticised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for allegedly submitting false Aircraft Maintenance and Operations Support (AMOS) records.
These records were meant to show that the airline had followed required engine servicing rules, but they were found to be misleading. A confidential government note, made public by Reuters, revealed that Air India Express had not replaced key engine parts on an Airbus A320, as required by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This raised serious questions about safety.
In March 2025, the DGCA issued a warning to Air India Express after finding that the airline had ignored an EASA safety directive from 2023.
The directive instructed airlines to change certain engine seals and moving parts on the CFM International LEAP-1A engines, which were found to have manufacturing faults. Ignoring these instructions could cause dangerous engine failures, possibly damaging the aircraft and making it harder to control, according to EASA.
Air India Defiance
According to The Times of India, the government memo, dated 18 March, stated that Air India Express failed to carry out the required changes on its VT-ATD aircraft within the set deadline. This plane flies both domestic and international routes, including services to Dubai and Muscat.
To cover up the missed work, the airline allegedly changed its AMOS logs to make it look as if the job had been done. The DGCA called this a clear sign of poor quality control by the manager in charge.
Air India Express admitted to the DGCA that it broke the rules, blaming the issue on problems while moving records to new software.
The airline said it acted quickly by removing the quality manager and suspending the deputy in charge of airworthiness, but did not share exact dates when the parts were replaced or respond directly to claims of forged records. An airline spokesperson told Reuters that Air India Express had taken the needed steps to avoid similar problems in future.
The issue first came up during a DGCA audit in October 2024. The findings have drawn strong criticism from aviation specialists. Vibhuti Singh, who previously advised India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, called this oversight “a grave mistake” and pointed out the risks, especially for flights over the sea or near restricted airspace.
Other Safety Violations
Singh said these problems need urgent attention, as the safety risks are high.
This is not the first time Air India Express or its parent, Air India, have faced action from regulators. In 2024, Indian authorities reported 23 safety-related warnings or fines, with three involving Air India Express and eight linked to Air India.
The Tata Group, which bought Air India in 2022 and promised to improve its standards, has continued to face complaints from passengers about poor cabin quality and other operational issues.
The timing of this news has added to public concern, coming soon after the June 2025 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 out of 242 people on board. This was the worst air accident in India in a decade.
The Airbus A320’s engine problems happened before the crash and are not linked, but the incident has fuelled worries about Air India’s safety standards.
After the reports came out, EASA said on 4 July that it would launch its investigation. The DGCA has not announced any new penalties yet, but this case highlights the need for tighter checks in India’s fast-growing aviation sector.
Air India Express, which operates over 115 planes with 500 daily flights to more than 50 cities, now faces the task of rebuilding trust with both passengers and regulators.
As the inquiry continues, many in the industry are calling for more openness and stronger checks to keep safety as the top priority.
Sources: Reuters, Times of India
