Aviation regulator DGCA starts audit at Air India's main base in Gurugram

Mumbai: Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday commenced the detailed audit at Air India's main base in Gurugram that will cover operations, flight scheduling, rostering and various other areas, according to a source.

The Tata Group-owned airline has come under intense scrutiny after its London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed soon after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 270 people, including 241 people onboard.

An eight-member team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started the annual audit of Air India's main base. Generally, a three-member team carries out the yearly audit, the source said.

"DGCA has started the audit at Air India’s main base at Gurugram. The annual exercise will cover all aspects, including operations, flight planning, scheduling, rostering and IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Centre)," the source said.

Air India is headquartered in Gurugam, Haryana.

The audit exercise also comes at a time when the regulator has taken action against some Air India officials for repeated safety lapses.

On June 21, DGCA sought details on the airline's planned and unplanned inspections, audit, cockpit/en route, station facility, ramp and cabin inspection, among others, from its flight operations inspectors since 2024.

The communication was sent out a day after the regulator issued a show-cause notice to the airline for Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) violation and also ordered the removal of the airline's three senior officials from their respective roles for certain lapses.

Meanwhile, DGCA has also put in place a new framework for comprehensive special audits to generate a 360-degree evaluation of the aviation ecosystem, reflecting both its strengths and areas needing improvement.

These special audits will be over and above the regulatory audits carried out as per the Annual Surveillance Programme.