Air India technical incidents such as fuel leaks hit 14-month high

Technical incidents such as engine oil and fuel leaks affecting Air India flights reached their highest rate in at least 14 months in January, a company document shows, underscoring growing strain on the carrier's revamp ambitions.

India's second-largest airline has come under scrutiny from the country's safety regulator since a crash last year killed 260 people. It has since reported multiple safety lapses and in December admitted there was a "need for urgent improvements in process discipline, communication, and compliance culture".

In January, Air India recorded 1.09 technical incidents per 1,000 flights, quadrupling from 0.26 in December 2024, according to a document reviewed by Reuters that the airline submitted to the Indian government in February. It did not provide earlier data.

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Air India operated more than 17,500 flights in January and recorded 23 technical incidents on its international and domestic routes, the document showed. At least 21 of those incidents were formally investigated.

"Systemic improvements [are] being introduced across flight ops, training, engineering quality, and procedural oversight to prevent recurrence," the document said.

In a statement to Reuters, Air India said it has undertaken a "comprehensive programme to strengthen technical reliability" and increased its critical spares inventory by over 30% to improve aircraft availability and reduce operational disruptions. The airline added it has made significant capital investments in engineering infrastructure and tooling to bolster technical operations.

India's civil aviation ministry did not respond to Reuters' queries.

The document provided selective comparisons to global airline industry norms based on non-public data and did not include information on budget subsidiary Air India Express.

Challenges galore

Air India, owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has been struggling to rebuild its reputation and international network while replacing an ageing fleet affected by supply chain delays.

Pakistan's airspace closure for Indian carriers due to diplomatic tensions has also hit the airline financially and forced it to suspend some long-haul routes.

India's civil aviation ministry told lawmakers this month that 82.5% of the 166 Air India aircraft it analysed since January 2025 had recurring technical defects, compared with 36.5% for market leader IndiGo.

The Air India document said January's technical incidents included engine stall warnings, flight control and hydraulic issues, and engine oil and fuel leaks. Incidents were reported on both Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including five instances of fuel or engine oil leaks.

In one case, a Dubai-Mumbai flight found an engine's oil quantity was "low" on arrival. In another, a Delhi-Dubai flight on Jan 12 returned after takeoff due to "no water in lavatory and galley", the document said.

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Operational incidents, including rejected takeoffs, flying at restricted altitude and incorrect takeoff settings, stood at 0.29 per 1,000 flights in January, more than double December's level, though the document said there had been a broader decrease in such incidents in recent months.

Taking steps

Air India has a fleet of 191 aircraft and has placed orders for more than 500 planes. Revamping the airline, which was government-owned until 2022, has proved challenging. Chief Executive Campbell Wilson has repeatedly cited supply chain disruptions delaying cabin retrofits.

The February document detailed steps to reduce technical issues. To address leakage events, Air India introduced periodic inspections for its Airbus A320 fleet and replaced all steering-system hydraulic hoses on its Boeing 777 aircraft.

It has also implemented a periodic air-conditioning leak-check programme and is taking "targeted engineering actions" to strengthen reliability and reduce incident rates, the document said.

The airline has faced international regulatory scrutiny as well. Britain's aviation authority asked Air India to explain why a Boeing Dreamliner, grounded on arrival in India for safety checks, had departed London with a potentially faulty fuel switch, Reuters reported this month.

Air India said it reminded pilots to follow proper procedures and protectively replaced the aircraft's throttle control module, according to a source familiar with the matter. Britain's Civil Aviation Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment.