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DGCA Grounds Air India A320 After Eight Flights on Expired Airworthiness Certificate

The airline self-reported a post-merger certification lapse leading to a grounding for ARC renewal.

All personnel involved in the decision to operate the aircraft have been suspended pending further review.
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Overview

  • The A320, registered VT-TQN, flew eight revenue sectors on November 24–25 before Air India notified the regulator on November 26.
  • DGCA ordered the jet grounded, opened a formal investigation, and de-rostered personnel linked to the lapse.
  • Air India suspended staff, called the incident “regrettable,” and launched an internal probe to identify system gaps and corrective measures.
  • The lapse traces to the Vistara–Air India merger transition in which DGCA handled the first ARC renewals: 69 aircraft were cleared, while this jet’s ARC expired during an engine change and it was wrongly returned to service.
  • An ARC is an annual validation of an aircraft’s Certificate of Airworthiness; renewal for VT-TQN is in progress and regulatory enforcement decisions are pending.