A total of 377 out of 754 aircraft examined across six scheduled airlines were flagged for recurring technical issues, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, with the Air India Group and IndiGo recording the highest numbers.
In a written reply to the House, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol stated that the aviation regulator carried out 3,890 surveillance inspections and 56 regulatory audits as part of its planned oversight activities during the year.
IndiGo had the highest number of aircraft reviewed. Out of 405 planes inspected, 148 were found with repetitive defects, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the House.
Air India Group recorded a far higher ratio. Of 267 planes checked across Air India and Air India Express, 191 were flagged for recurring issues, nearly 72 per cent of the audited fleet.
Breaking this down further, 137 of 166 Air India aircraft and 54 of 101 Air India Express planes showed recurring defects.
Other carriers were also affected. Of 43 SpiceJet aircraft examined, 16 were flagged, while 14 out of 32 Akasa Air planes showed repeated issues.
Responding to the findings, an Air India spokesperson told news agency PTI, “We have, out of abundance caution, carried out checks across our fleet. Hence, numbers are higher.”
As per reports, a senior Air India executive added that most of the flagged issues relate to lower-priority equipment. Aircraft systems are classified into categories A to D based on urgency, with most issues in Air India falling under category D.
“In case of Air India, most of the issues are with category D, which includes items like seats, tray tables, screens (on the back of seats) and so on. These are not related to the safety of the aircraft,” the executive said.
Alongside airline audits, the aviation regulator DGCA stepped up its surveillance last year. Mohol said the regulator carried out 3,890 surveillance inspections, 56 regulatory audits, 84 surveillance of foreign aircraft (SOFA) checks and 492 ramp inspections as part of planned monitoring.
In addition, 874 spot checks and 550 night inspections were conducted under unplanned surveillance.
On manpower, the minister said that the DGCA had 637 sanctioned technical posts in 2022. To address staffing gaps, a restructuring was undertaken, and the number of sanctioned technical positions has been increased to 1,063.
Air India, Indigo Face Repeated Scrutiny Over Safety Issues
Air India has drawn sustained scrutiny from regulators and the media over safety and compliance issues in recent years. In late 2025, India’s aviation regulator opened an investigation after an Air India aircraft was operated multiple times without a valid safety certificate, raising questions about adherence to regulatory requirements.
Reuters reported that the probe was launched after the plane was flown eight times with an expired safety clearance. Around the same period, pilots’ associations urged the grounding of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet due to recurring electrical system snags, and technical incidents, including flight diversions and repeated defect reports on Boeing 787s, sparked industry concern about the airline’s maintenance oversight.
These episodes, along with the recent parliamentary audit showing a high number of recurring defects in Air India aircraft, have kept the carrier in the spotlight over operational safety and maintenance standards.
As per ET, IndiGo has also faced scrutiny over safety and maintenance concerns in the past. In 2023, the airline reported several technical incidents, including engine snags and flight diversions, prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue safety advisories and increase inspections.
While most issues did not compromise passenger safety, the frequency of recurring technical faults raised questions about maintenance oversight and operational practices.
