9AUGUST 2025DGCA FLAGS MAJOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS IN AIR INDIA OPERATIONSINDIA TO RAMP UP PRODUCTION OF GENERAL AND NON-AC COACHESThe annual audit, conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA), revealed 51 safety lapses in Air India's operations. It is a significant concern about the airline's compliance with aviation safety norms.A range of shortcomings was revealed by the audit, including outdated training manuals, fragmented training records, lack of pilot training, unqualified simulators, untrained staff managing flight rosters, and irregularities in approvals for low- visibility operations.Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that India will produce about 17,000 general and non-AC coaches over the next five years. Speaking in the lower house, the minister claimed that throughout the past few years, there has been a significant growth in the number of general class coaches, which are sought after by lower-income families."About 70% of the total 82,000 coaches are general class and non-Air Conditioned (AC)," he said while noting that seat-The airline has until July 30 to address seven of these, which have been identified as critical Level I breaches. By August 23, the final 44 non-compliances need to be fixed. Air India has been requested by the DGCA to present proof that all safety procedures are being followed. Days after the regulator revealed that an Air India aircraft had been operating without a timely inspection of its emergency slide, a crucial safety feature, the enforcement action was taken.The airline was given 15 days to answer to three show-cause notices from the DGCA on July 23 for a variety of infractions. The DGCA promptly grounded the aircraft implicated in the past-due slide inspection till the required checks were finished; Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had earlier informed Parliament. According to him, the regulator makes sure airlines adhere to safety and maintenance standards through routine surveillance, spot checks, and night inspections. If there are infractions, enforcement action is taken, which may include fines, warnings, or suspensions."DGCA immediately grounded the aircraft till the required rectification was carried out. DGCA has initiated enforcement action against Air India and the responsible personnel as per the Enforcement Policy and Procedure Manual of DGCA," Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. wise, almost 78% of the 69 lakh seats offered by the Indian Railways are under the non-AC and general class categories. "We have taken up a program of manufacturing 17,000 general coaches and non-AC coaches," Vaishnaw added. The Indian Railways operated an average 13,940 passenger trains every day in 2024-25, up from 13,169 trains in 2019-20. In response to a question concerning the implementation of India's in-house Automatic Train Protection technology, Vaishnaw stated that Kavach has already been implemented on 1548 Route Kilometres (RKm) on both the North Central Railway and the South Central Railway.Regarding Vande Bharat trains, the minister stated that the Indian Railways network now has 144 Vande Bharat train services in operation. In fiscal years 20242025 and 20252026 (until June 2025), the overall occupancy of Vande Bharat Express trains was 102.01% and 105.03%, respectively. In 202425, there were 651 crore passengers in ordinary or unreserved coaches, up from 609 crore the previous year, according to government figures. According to an official release, Indian Railways has launched Amrit Bharat trains that are entirely non-AC. These trains now have eight sleeper class coaches and eleven general class coaches. A plan to produce 100 of these trains is presently in progress.
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