New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) Air India has been fined Rs 1 crore by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operating an Airbus A320 plane eight times without a valid airworthiness permit, with the aviation regulator terming the violation “serious” and holding the top-level management responsible for the security lapse.

The DGCA order, imposing the fine, stated that the Airbus A320 aircraft was flown on multiple sectors, including flights connecting New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, between November 24 and 25 last year, without a mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).

The ARC is a crucial annual certification issued by the aviation regulator after an aircraft successfully clears prescribed safety and compliance checks. Flying without it constitutes a serious breach of aviation safety norms.

According to sources, the DGCA took a strict view of the violation, red-flagging what it described as the airline’s “casual approach”

Responding to the DGCA order, an Air India spokesperson said in a statement: “Air India acknowledges the receipt of a DGCA order in relation to an incident that was voluntarily reported back in 2025. All identified gaps have since been satisfactorily addressed and shared with the authority. Air India remains unwavering in its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of operational integrity and safety.”

Air India has been going through a turbulent phase following the Ahmedabad plane crash in June last year and has not been able make a financial turnaround at the required pace after it was taken over from the government as part of the privatisation process.

The airline is reported to be looking for a new CEO to replace its present chief, Campbell Wilson. Wilson, whose contract expires in mid-2027, is also reported to be not interested in continuing with the airline. So the new appointment will, in a sense, be a friendly parting of ways, according to a source.

Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has already held preliminary discussions with potential CEO candidates who have experience in managing large airlines, according to people familiar with the issue.

The main reason that has triggered the move for the change in guard is that Air India is likely to miss the March 31 target fixed for the airline to break even. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025 came as a huge setback for Air India and its revival plans.

Besides, operational issues such as Pakistan’s closure of airspace to Indian carriers, which has led to longer flying routes and an increase in the cost of operation,s have also impacted Air India’s financial performance.

–IANS

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