According to the government, scheduled Indian airlines reported 22 safety infractions in 2024. Additionally, scheduled Indian airlines reported 21 instances of in-flight engine shutdowns in the same year. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, told the Lok Sabha that “all the occurrences are investigated to find the cause and prevent the recurrence.” To guarantee the safe operation and upkeep of aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has created extensive Civil Aviation Regulations.
The minister further stated that these rules are regularly revised and in line with international standards, such as those of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Thus far in 2025, the aviation regulator has disciplined 19 airlines for safety-related infractions. Mohol provided comprehensive information on airline non-compliance, safety budgets, and staffing shortages across important aviation organizations in a written response to the Rajya Sabha. Over the previous five years, he noted, the DGCA has increased enforcement.
From just two in 2021 to seven in 2022, ten in 2023, and twenty-two in 2024, the number of actions taken against scheduled airlines has gradually increased, reaching 19 so far this year. These measures include monetary fines, suspensions of authorizations or approvals, and formal warnings. Numerous safety breaches are included in the regulator’s list of violations. These include inadequate quality assurance checks, breaches in flight data monitoring, unapproved access to the cockpit, and crew noncompliance with breath analyzer regulations. Additional violations included deploying crew without required training, abusing flight simulators without DGCA approval, and going over flight duty time limits.
