India’s aviation regulator said on Tuesday it was investigating Air India after the airline operated an aircraft eight times without a valid airworthiness review certificate, a document issued annually that ensures compliance with safety standards.
The regulator did not name the aircraft type but its news release’s title referenced the registration code of an Airbus A320 and a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the case in fact concerned the single-aisle jet.
Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The probe comes as Air India deals with the fallout from a June Boeing Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people and financial losses from an airspace ban imposed on Indian airlines by Pakistan.
It has also been repeatedly warned by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over safety lapses this year. The DGCA said it had also grounded the aircraft and de-rostered “concerned personnel.”
India’s second-largest airline said it had reported the lapse to the regulator on November 26 and that it had suspended personnel involved in the decision, pending further review.
