The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has flagged multiple safety concerns with Air India's aircraft fleet, raising questions about maintenance standards even as the airline spends billions on modernization.
EASA inspectors identified lapses during recent spot checks of Air India planes operating European routes, according to a report in the Economic Times. The findings come as the Tata Group-owned carrier races to rehabilitate its image following decades of neglect under government ownership.
Specific violations were not publicly detailed, but aviation safety experts said EASA findings typically involve maintenance record discrepancies, safety equipment issues, or operational procedure failures. The agency has the authority to restrict or ban airlines from European airspace if serious safety concerns aren't addressed.
The irony is hard to miss: India's flag carrier is spending over $50 billion on new Boeing and Airbus aircraft—one of aviation history's largest orders—while struggling with basic safety compliance on existing planes.
"You can buy all the new planes you want, but if you don't have a safety culture from top to bottom, you're just putting passengers at risk in newer aircraft," said Captain Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety consultant and former commercial pilot.
A billion people aren't a statistic—they're a billion stories. For Pradeep Kumar, who flies Air India monthly between Mumbai and London for business, the safety concerns mean anxiety before every flight and checking which specific aircraft he'll be on.
Air India operates a mixed fleet of aging Boeing 777s and 787s alongside older Airbus A320 family aircraft, many inherited from the pre-Tata era. The airline has acknowledged maintenance challenges while insisting all aircraft meet safety requirements.
"We take safety extremely seriously and are working closely with all regulatory authorities to address any concerns," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement. The airline did not specify what corrective actions it would take regarding EASA's findings.
The European safety warning follows other operational embarrassments for Air India, including recent incidents of cockroaches in cabins, malfunctioning entertainment systems, and water leaking inside aircraft during flights—all reported by passengers on social media.
