DGCA probes Air India after plane flown repeatedly without safety certificate

India's aviation regulator said on Tuesday it was investigating Air India after the airline operated an aircraft eight times without a valid airworthiness review certificate, a document issued annually that ensures compliance with safety standards.

The regulator did not name the aircraft type but its news release's title referenced the registration code of an Airbus A320 and a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the case in fact concerned the single-aisle jet. Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The probe comes as Air India deals with the fallout from a June Boeing Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people and financial losses from an airspace ban imposed on Indian airlines by Pakistan. It has also been repeatedly warned by India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) over safety lapses this year. The DGCA said it had also grounded the aircraft and de-rostered "concerned personnel."

India's second-largest airline said it had reported the lapse to the regulator on November 26 and that it had suspended personnel involved in the decision, pending further review.

"An incident involving one of our aircraft operating without an airworthiness review certificate is regrettable," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement. The regulator issued a warning to the airline in July over various matters, including crew fatigue management and training.

Its annual audit of the airline also found 51 safety lapses, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system, according to a government report seen by Reuters.

An airworthiness review certificate for an aircraft is issued after a review of its maintenance records, physical condition and its compliance with regulations.

The DGCA has delegated authority to Air India to issue the certificates but the regulator had decided to issue the first clearance for aircraft belonging to former airline Vistara after its merger with Air India last year.

The aircraft in question was grounded for an engine change during which the certificate had expired but was released for commercial service after the work, the DGCA said.

The regulator said that it had ordered Air India to carry out an investigation and plug gaps in its system.