Air India staff suspended after A320 flew eight times with expired certificate

ARC lapse involved a required annual safety check that validates airworthiness after inspections and record reviews

India’s aviation regulator has taken several Air India employees off duty after it emerged that a 164-seat Airbus A320 operated eight commercial flights in November despite carrying an expired airworthiness certificate, according to Gulf News. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded the aircraft, launched an investigation and directed the airline to undertake an internal review of its compliance procedures.

The lapse concerns the Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), an annual mandate that validates an aircraft’s Certificate of Airworthiness. The ARC is issued only after a thorough review of maintenance records, physical inspection and confirmation that all safety standards are being met.

Air India’s Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation normally issues these certificates. However, after Vistara’s merger into Air India in 2024, the DGCA decided it would directly issue the first post-merger ARC for all 70 Vistara aircraft.

According to the regulator, 69 ARCs were completed without issue. The 70th aircraft had been grounded for an engine change, during which its ARC expired. The aircraft was later released back into service, making eight flights between November 24 and 25 before the lapse was detected. Air India reported the oversight to the DGCA on November 26.

The DGCA said relevant staff have been “de-rostered with immediate effect,” while Air India has suspended personnel pending completion of its own investigation. The airline said it is fully cooperating with the regulator and reviewing its internal systems to prevent similar failures. “We are conducting a comprehensive compliance review,” an Air India spokesperson said, adding that safety oversight procedures are being strengthened across the fleet.