DGCA audit flags recurring defects and infrastructure lapses at major Indian airports

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has identified multiple safety and maintenance lapses in a recent audit prompted by the Air India crash on June 12.

Officials observed recurring aircraft defects during early morning inspections at Mumbai and Delhi, citing ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification. Airlines and airport operators have been instructed to rectify these issues within seven days.

Notable concerns include an aircraft permitted to take off with worn-out tyres—later corrected only after a ground inspection—as well as faded runway markings, which compromise visibility during critical takeoff and landing phases.

Maintenance shortfalls also extended to substandard repairs on aircraft and unserviceable ground equipment at various airports.

The DGCA also reported that maintenance engineers failed to follow prescribed safety protocols, and several defect reports were absent from aircraft technical logs—raising questions about the effectiveness of aviation oversight.

At one airport, a scheduled safety survey was not conducted despite nearby construction, a detail that has come under close regulatory review following the Air India crash into a hostel block in Ahmedabad.

In response, the DGCA has set a strict seven-day deadline for remedial action. Airlines, including Air India, have been ordered to report corrective measures on recurring defects.

While the audits did not reveal critical flaws in Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, several systemic failures triggered the commission of senior staff and prompted tougher scrutiny.