Indian airlines have reported 183 technical aircraft faults till July 23 this year even as the ministry of civil aviation reported a 6 per cent decline in such incidents in 2024 in comparison to the previous year.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu stated that “a total of 2,094 investigations have been carried out against serious defect/snags reported during the last five years (up to June 2025).”

Naidu also said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has strengthened checks on critical safety components after the Air India plane crash on June 12. The accident involved a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London, killing all 260 people on board.

“Post-accident, DGCA enhanced the check and inspection of the critical component of safety assurance in order to identify and rectify immediate systemic issues," Naidu said.

Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol, in a separate reply, added that technical faults in flights have declined by “approximately 6 per cent in 2024 as compared to 2023.”

The data shows a fluctuating trend in recent years: 448 technical glitches were reported in 2023, down from 528 in 2022 and 514 in 2021. For the current year, the number stands at 183 as of July 23.

Naidu assured that India’s aviation safety regulations are aligned with global norms. “DGCA has comprehensive and structured civil aviation regulations for safe operation of aircraft and its maintenance. These regulations are continuously updated and aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)/European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards,” he said.

Meanwhile, passenger dissatisfaction remains a concern. DGCA received 3,925 complaints from air travellers in 2025 so far, nearly matching last year’s 4,016. In contrast, 2023 saw 5,513 complaints, compared to 3,782 in 2022 and 4,131 in 2021.

In light of the June 12 crash, Air India has come under heavy regulatory scrutiny. The DGCA has issued nine show-cause notices to the airline in the past six months over five identified safety violations.

“During the last six months, a total of nine show-cause notices have been issued to Air India in connection with five identified safety violations. Enforcement action has been completed in respect of one violation,” Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol told Parliament on July 24 in a written response to a question by CPM MP John Brittas.

Sources told PTI last week that four new show-cause notices have been sent to Air India recently. The airline's safety record has come under intense focus following what was the first-ever fatal accident involving a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and one of the deadliest crashes in India in decades.

A series of technical glitches have further raised concerns about Air India’s fleet maintenance:

• July 24: An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Mumbai carrying around 160 passengers aborted takeoff due to a technical snag at the Delhi airport.
• July 22: Flight AI315 from Hong Kong experienced a fire in its auxiliary power unit (APU) after landing at Delhi airport. "The incident occurred while passengers had begun disembarking, and the APU was automatically shut down as per system design," an Air India spokesperson said. All passengers and crew were safe. "The aircraft has been grounded for further investigations and the regulator has been duly notified," the spokesperson added. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) confirmed that airport personnel extinguished the fire and that a probe is underway.
• July 21: A Kolkata-bound Air India flight had to abort takeoff at Delhi airport due to another technical fault.

Same day: Another Air India flight, AI2744 from Kochi to Mumbai, skidded off the runway while landing in heavy rain at Mumbai airport. One runway was temporarily shut down following the incident.