DGCA finds ‘serious findings in top airlines’ during audit ahead of key US check

“Serious findings” were reported as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted safety audits of Indian carriers IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet ahead of a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assessment of India’s civil aviation regulator oversight scheduled between November 16 and 20, people aware of the matter said on Tuesday.DGCA conducted safety audits of Indian carriers IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet (ANI/Representational)The DGCA completed the safety audits of four airlines in August, three months before a five-member FAA team will visit India. “While the nature and details of the observations are unknown, serious findings in major airlines were observed during the exercise,” said one of the people cited above. “The concerned airlines are expected to submit their responses to the DGCA, which will be examined. Action may be initiated if the responses are unsatisfactory.”Under the DGCA’s audit framework, Level-1 findings relate to a more serious category of non-compliance and require immediate corrective action, and Level-2 to less serious deficiencies and require corrective measures within a prescribed timeframe.Also Read | DGCA flagged safety issues with Tecnam aircraft before Kanpur crashThe FAA performs air traffic control handoffs and assesses whether a foreign civil aviation authority complies with international aviation standards. It inspects repair stations, oversees navigation and infrastructure, sets safety standards, and provides global oversight for air traffic.An IndiGo official told HT that the airline responded to the DGCA findings. However, the spokesperson did not respond to the query.Spokespersons of Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air did not comment on the matter.However, an Air India official said, “There have been some visits by the DGCA but the airline is aware and is awaiting the audit to be conducted.”Also Read | AAIB to probe Kanpur trainee aircraft crash that killed trainee pilot, instructorThe FAA last conducted an assessment in India in 2021. India currently holds Category 1 status under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment programme. The 2026 review comes against the backdrop of a series of incidents and operational problems over the past year, including the June 2025 Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad and IndiGo’s operational disruption in December 2025.