Post-DGCA Memo, Air India Express Confirms Maintenance Error On A320 Engine, Orders Disciplinary Action

Air India Express has admitted to a lapse in replacing engine parts on one of its Airbus A320 aircraft after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) flagged the issue during a routine audit. The airline has since taken corrective and preventive steps to address the matter and ensure future compliance.

In a statement issued on Friday, the carrier clarified that the issue stemmed from an Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued in May 2023 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which applied to two engines in its inventory, reported IANS.

While the required part replacement was carried out on one engine within the mandated timeframe, the change for the second engine was missed due to a data migration problem within the airline’s monitoring system.

"Primarily on account of the migration of records on the monitoring software platform, the technical team missed the trigger for one engine," the airline stated. Once the issue was identified, the necessary corrective action was implemented, and compliance for the second engine was also completed within the required timeline, it added.

"We acknowledged the error to the DGCA and undertook remedial action and preventive measures with immediate effect. Necessary administrative actions were also taken against the persons held responsible," the airline said.

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This admission follows a confidential memo from the aviation regulator, which alleged that Air India Express had failed to complete the required modifications within the stipulated deadline and had possibly altered records to falsely indicate compliance. The discrepancies were identified during an audit conducted by DGCA in October 2024 and formally communicated to the airline in March this year.

The regulator’s memo noted that the part replacement had not been completed on one engine of an Airbus A320 as required. It also raised serious concerns about potential tampering in the airline's Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System (AMOS).

The development comes at a sensitive time for the Tata Group-owned carrier, which is currently in the midst of a fleet expansion and integration with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India). The safety lapse also predates the devastating crash of an Air India Dreamliner in June, which caused the death of 241 people onboard, making it the deadliest Indian aviation accident in a decade.

Despite the setback, Air India Express reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety and full regulatory compliance.

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