DGCA warned Air India before Ahmedabad accident; flew to Gulf countries without safety checks

NEW DELHI: The DGCA had warned Air India days before the Ahmedabad plane crash, according to news agency Reuters. The warning was about Airbus aircraft services. The Director General of Civil Aviation has also pointed out that three aircraft were operated without conducting safety checks, and documents related to this have been released.

The report says that although the aircraft involved in the accident in Ahmedabad was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, AI 171, the earlier warning was issued citing lapses in safety checks of other aircraft. A spot inspection conducted by the DGCA last month found that three Air India aircraft were operated without conducting timely checks on emergency safety systems. The Reuters report also says that despite a month-long delay in the safety checks, the Airbus A320 was operating international flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah.