Air India safety chief suspended as regulator finds lapses

India’s aviation regulator suspended the chief of flight safety at Air India Ltd. for a month after uncovering lapses at the flag carrier. 

Routine checks by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on July 25-26 found “deficiencies” in Air India’s accident prevention work, as well as unavailability of qualified personnel, the regulator said in a statement Thursday. 

A spokesperson for Air India said the airline acknowledges the “failure of one of our audit staff to fully comply with the process and documentation requirements”. Air India plans to raise safety standards by investing “heavily” in people, processes, systems and training.

Air India has been trying to revive its image under new owner Tata Group, recently unveiling a new logo and livery and lining up a blockbuster order for 470 aircraft with Airbus SE and Boeing Co. 

Air India’s internal spot checks lacked diligence and fell short of requirements, according to the DGCA, which said it has told the carrier not to assign checks to the auditor involved in the “perfunctory inspections” uncovered in July.  

The regulator didn’t provide any more details on the deficiencies.