DGCA grounds AI A320 plane

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded an Air India (AI) aircraft and an aircraft maintenance engineer after the airline reported that the aircraft had operated eight revenue sectors on an expired Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC). The Airbus A320 remains grounded pending DGCA investigation.

AI has also set up a committee to decide on possible action against pilots who were involved in operating the aircraft, sources said. The airline acting on DGCA’s directions, has initiated an internal investigation to identify system gaps, accountability failures and corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

AI Accountable Manager and Director of Flight Operations Manish Uppal has sent out a communication to all pilots, reminding them of their responsibility regarding document validation, sources said. However, some pilots are not happy with the communication, claiming that it amounts to “passing the buck” for the violations that have happened with respect to the A320 neo plane operations. Earlier, in a press statement, the ministry explained that the lapse occurred in the context of the ongoing merger of Vistara into Air India.