Air India staff suspended after A320 flown with expired certificate

India’s aviation regulator has removed several Air India personnel from duty after a 164-seat Airbus A320 operated eight commercial flights in November with an expired airworthiness certificate. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it has grounded the aircraft, begun an investigation and directed the airline to conduct an internal review.

At issue is the Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), which must be issued annually to confirm an aircraft’s Certificate of Airworthiness remains valid. The ARC is granted following a review of maintenance records, physical inspection and verification of compliance with safety standards. Air India’s Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation is typically responsible for issuing ARCs, but when Vistara merged into Air India in 2024, the DGCA decided to directly issue the first post-merger ARC for all 70 Vistara aircraft.

According to the regulator, 69 ARCs were issued without issue. The 70th aircraft had been grounded for an engine change, and its ARC expired during that period. The aircraft was subsequently released into service and operated eight flights between November 24 and 25 before the lapse was discovered. Air India reported the issue to the DGCA on November 26.

The regulator said relevant staff have been “de-rostered with immediate effect,” and Air India has suspended personnel pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The airline said it is cooperating with the regulator and reviewing compliance systems to prevent similar failures.