DGCA Had Flagged Air India Express Over Airbus Engine Fix, Forging Records In March: Reports

New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had reprimanded Air India Express — the low-cost subsidiary of Air India — in March for failing to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320, as mandated by the European Union’s aviation safety agency. The airline was also accused of forging records to show compliance, according to a confidential memo accessed by Reuters.

Air India Express told Reuters that it had acknowledged the violation to the DGCA and had taken "remedial action and preventive measures."

The memo, sent to the airline read that surveillance by the DGCA revealed the parts modification "was not complied" on an engine of an Airbus A320 "within the prescribed time limit".

"In order to show that the work has been carried out within the prescribed limits, the AMOS records have apparently been altered/forged," the memo read, referring to the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System software used by airlines to manage maintenance and airworthiness.

The Tata-owned airline has come under intense scrutiny following the crash of an Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad — one of the worst aviation disasters, claiming 241 lives out of the 242 people on board. While the incident is unrelated, it has highlighted broader concerns over safety oversight and procedural compliance within the airline group.