The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reportedly found “serious findings” during safety audits of four major Indian airlines ahead of a key assessment by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The DGCA completed safety audits of IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet in August. The exercise comes around three months before a five-member FAA team is scheduled to visit India from November 16 to 20 to assess the country’s civil aviation safety oversight.
According to people familiar with the matter, the exact nature of the observations has not been disclosed. However, serious findings were reportedly identified during the audits, including at some of the country’s major airlines.
The airlines are expected to submit their responses to the DGCA. The regulator will examine these responses, and further action could be taken if the explanations or corrective measures are found to be unsatisfactory.
Under the DGCA’s audit system, findings are generally classified into two levels. Level-1 findings involve more serious cases of non-compliance and require immediate corrective action. Level-2 findings relate to less serious deficiencies and require airlines to implement corrective measures within a specified period.
IndiGo has confirmed that it responded to the findings raised by the DGCA. Officials from Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air did not provide detailed comments on the reported observations.
The upcoming FAA assessment is significant for India’s aviation sector. The US regulator reviews the safety oversight capabilities of foreign civil aviation authorities under its International Aviation Safety Assessment programme. The assessment covers areas including regulatory standards, air traffic control, aviation infrastructure and safety oversight.
India currently holds Category 1 status under the FAA's assessment programme, indicating that the country's civil aviation authority meets international safety standards.
The FAA last conducted an assessment of India in 2021. The latest review comes at a time when the country's aviation sector has faced several operational and safety challenges.
These include the June 2025 Air India aircraft crash in Ahmedabad and major operational disruptions involving IndiGo in December 2025.
The DGCA's latest findings are therefore likely to receive close attention as airlines work to address the observations before the FAA team begins its assessment in November. The regulator's follow-up action and the airlines' corrective measures will be important in determining whether the identified concerns are adequately resolved.
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