Air India Responds to 51 Safety Training Gaps Noted by DGCA Audit

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India has identified 51 “recurrent training gaps” at Air India during its audit conducted in July 2025. Key issues include inadequate pilot training, the usage of unapproved simulators, and a problematic rostering system.

This confidential 11-page audit, reviewed on July 29, 2025, involved ten DGCA inspectors alongside four additional auditors. Although it is unrelated to the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 in June 2025, which resulted in 260 fatalities, these findings further stress the airline as investigations into that incident progress.

Seven Major Violations, Numerous Additional Issues

The audit reportedly identified seven major “Level I” safety violations that require resolution by July 30, 2025, along with 44 other non-compliance items to be addressed by August 23. A significant concern was noted regarding certain Boeing 787 and 777 pilots who had not completed necessary monitoring tasks before their scheduled evaluations.

The report further emphasized that Air India did not carry out “proper route assessments” for specific Category C airports and neglected to provide training for these locations using compliant simulators. According to the DGCA, “this may account for the non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports.”

Crew Rostering and Safety Checks Under Scrutiny

Inspectors also criticized the airline’s rostering system, indicating it lacks a robust alert system when the minimum required crew members are not assigned to a flight. Moreover, the audit revealed inconsistencies in “door checks and equipment checks” compared to standard protocols, along with gaps in training documentation.

In response to the audit findings, Air India stated that it was fully transparent throughout the process. The airline also confirmed it would provide its response to the regulatory body within the required timeline, including the specifics of corrective measures.

While the DGCA audit was not connected to the AI171 accident, safety issues at Air India have intensified following this tragic event. In July 2025, the airline announced it had completed precautionary inspections of the fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 and 737 fleets, reporting no issues with their locking mechanisms. It’s worth noting that investigators found the switches on the crashed aircraft in the “cutoff” position.