Key Takeaways
- Regulator Alert: On June 19, 2025, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a formal warning to Air India after spot checks revealed three Airbus aircraft operated with overdue escape‐slide inspections. reuters.com
- Inspection Delays: Lapses ranged from two days to over three months, with one A320 flying internationally to Dubai and Riyadh while its emergency‐slide check was overdue. reuters.com
- Safety Implications: Unchecked escape slides can delay evacuations by critical seconds—potentially disastrous in a real emergency.
Background: What Happened?
According to DGCA documents reviewed by Reuters, spot checks conducted in May 2025 on three Air India Airbus jets uncovered that mandatory inspections of escape slides—classified as “critical emergency equipment”—were overdue. The specific findings included: reuters.com
- Airbus A320: Inspection delayed by over one month; during this period, the aircraft operated routes to Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah.
- Airbus A319: Inspection overdue by more than three months on domestic services.
- Another Airbus A319: Inspection overdue by two days.
In its notice dated June 18, 2025, the DGCA cited these infractions as violations of airworthiness and safety requirements and criticized “weak procedural oversight” within Air India’s maintenance regime. dgca.gov.in
Expert Analysis
“Escape slides are among the last line of defense in an evacuation. Even a few seconds’ delay in deployment can mean the difference between life and death,” warns Dr. Martin Dolan, President & CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), an independent, non‐profit dedicated to global aviation safety. “Airlines must treat slide inspections with the same urgency as engine or avionics checks.”
LinkedIn profile: https://flightsafety.org/about/ reuters.com
Further, the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2024 Annual Safety Report underscores that evacuation‐system failures, though rare, represent a significant risk factor in cabin safety. According to IATA, such systems must be capable of deploying within 10 seconds and fully inflating in under 90 seconds to meet global evacuation standards. iata.org
Air India’s Response
Air India, now under Tata Group ownership, responded swiftly:
- Immediate Grounding: Affected aircraft were grounded until re‐inspection and certification.
- Maintenance Audit: Initiated a comprehensive “safety‐management systems” review across its Airbus fleet.
- Compliance Acceleration: Instituted weekly digital tracking of emergency‐equipment checks, down from the previous monthly schedule.
In a statement to Reuters, an Air India spokesperson emphasized:
“Passenger safety is our highest priority. We are working closely with the DGCA to ensure full compliance and strengthen our internal oversight mechanisms.” reuters.com
What Happens Next?
- DGCA Follow‑Up Inspections: The regulator plans another round of surprise checks in July 2025 to verify corrective actions.
- Industry Review: IATA and FSF are convening a global panel on “Emergency Systems Compliance” in Geneva this August.
- Penalty Risk: Under the Aircraft Rules, 1937, serious breaches can lead to fines up to ₹10 lakhs (~US $12,000) per violation and possible executive penalties.
Daily Digest: Ongoing Aviation Safety Updates
- July 2025: DGCA to audit all major Indian carriers’ emergency‐equipment logs.
- August 2025: IATA/FSF panel publishes new “Slide Inspection Best Practices.”
- September 2025: Airbus to update slide‐bustle design for quicker manual deployment.
