Air India Express, the budget subsidiary of Tata-owned Air India, has come under regulatory fire after India’s aviation watchdog (DGCA) reprimanded the airline in March 2025 for delaying the mandated replacement of engine parts on an Airbus A320 and forging maintenance records to fake compliance. This violation occurred months before the deadly Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that killed 241 out of 242 passengers on board, marking one of the worst aviation disasters in a decade.
According to a confidential government memo reviewed by Reuters, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had issued an airworthiness directive in 2023 to address safety concerns related to CFM International LEAP-1A engines, urging the replacement of faulty engine components including seals and rotating parts. The failure to comply could result in engine failure and high-energy debris, significantly endangering the aircraft.
Despite this directive, Air India Express failed to replace the necessary parts on one of its A320 aircraft (tail number VT-ATD) within the specified deadline. This aircraft typically operates domestic routes and select international flights to destinations like Dubai and Muscat.
Worse, the DGCA audit found that the airline had allegedly altered records in the AMOS software—used to track maintenance and airworthiness—to falsely show timely compliance.
In a statement to Reuters, Air India Express admitted to missing the scheduled replacement due to a software migration issue and claimed the problem was later corrected. The airline stated that administrative actions were taken, including the removal of the quality manager and the suspension of the deputy airworthiness manager. However, it did not provide specific dates of compliance or directly address the forgery allegation.
The engine lapse was originally discovered during a DGCA inspection in October 2024. The affected aircraft reportedly operated only a few flights after the deadline for part replacement had passed.
Aviation safety experts called the violation extremely serious. “Such issues should be fixed immediately. The risk multiplies, especially over sea or restricted airspace,” said Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
This incident is not isolated. In 2024, the Indian government reported 23 instances of airline safety violations, with 11 cases involving Air India and Air India Express. Earlier this year, DGCA also warned Air India for flying three Airbus planes with overdue emergency slide checks, and for serious pilot duty time violations.
The growing list of safety concerns poses a significant challenge for Tata Group, which acquired Air India in 2022. Despite efforts to expand international routes and modernize the fleet, Air India continues to face customer complaints about poor in-flight services, including dirty cabins, broken seats, and non-functional entertainment systems.
As investigations into the June Dreamliner crash continue, this latest revelation about Air India Express adds more pressure on India’s national carrier and its goal to become a world-class airline.