Air India faces 51 ‘training gaps’ flagged in DGCA safety audit: Reuters

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India has found 51 “recurrent training gaps” at Air India during its audit in July 2025, including insufficient pilot training, the use of unapproved simulators, and a flawed rostering system. 

The 11-page confidential audit, reviewed by Reuters on July 29, 2025, was carried out by 10 DGCA inspectors along with four additional auditors. 

It is not linked to the fatal crash of Air India Flight AI171 in June 2025, which claimed 260 lives. However, the findings add pressure on the airline as investigations into the accident continue. 

Seven major violations, dozens more issues 

According to Reuters, the audit cited seven critical “Level I” safety violations requiring resolution by July 30, 2025, and 44 additional non-compliance issues to be addressed by August 23.  

Among the most serious concerns was the discovery that some Boeing 787 and 777 pilots had not completed required monitoring duties before undergoing scheduled evaluations. 

The report also stated that Air India failed to conduct “proper route assessments” for certain Category C airports and did not provide training for these airfields using simulators that met qualification standards, Reuters continued.  

“This may account to non-consideration of safety risks during approaches to challenging airports,” the DGCA audit report read. 

Crew rostering and safety checks flagged 

According to Reuters, inspectors criticized the airline’s rostering system, stating it “doesn’t give a hard alert” when the minimum crew members are not assigned to a flight. 

Additionally, the audit highlighted that “door checks and equipment checks” were inconsistent with the established procedures and that there were gaps in the training documentation. 

In response, Air India said in a statement to Reuters that it was “fully transparent” throughout the audit. The airline also mentioned it would “submit [its] response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions.” 

While the DGCA audit was unrelated to the AI171 crash, safety concerns at the airline have intensified since the fatal crash of flight AI171 in June 2025.  

In July 2025, Air India said it had completed precautionary inspections of the fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 and 737 fleets, reporting “no issues” with the locking mechanisms. Investigators had noted that the switches on the crashed jet were found in the “cutoff” position. 

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