This document summarizes the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation's response to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding aircraft defects, investigations, compliance with Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), passenger complaints, and safety measures.
**Key Findings:**
* **Defect Reporting:** The number of technical defects reported by commercial airlines operating in India are as follows: 2021 (514), 2022 (528), 2023 (448), 2024 (421), and 2025 (183, up to June).
* **Investigations:** A total of 2094 investigations were conducted regarding serious defects/nags reported in the last five years (up to June 2025).
* **CAR Compliance:** DGCA initiates investigations and takes action as per enforcement policy and procedure manual if airlines fail to report defects, as required by Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR).
* **Passenger Complaints:** The number of passenger complaints filed with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are as follows: 2021 (4131), 2022 (3783), 2023 (5513), 2024 (4016), and 2025 (3925).
* **Safety Measures:** The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) maintains comprehensive civil aviation regulations aligned with ICAO and EASA standards and continuously updates them. Post-accident, DGCA enhanced checks and inspections of critical safety components to identify and rectify systemic issues.
* **Oversight:** DGCA has comprehensive regulations under Civil Aviation Requirement CAR which specifies the manner in which defects service difficulties in aircraft and aircraft components are to be recorded, reported, investigated and analyzed for the purpose of taking timely correctivepreventive action. All aircraft operators shall have a system in their organization to ensure that all defects, minor or others, whether reported by Flight Crew or observed by Maintenance Crew are recordedand investigated for taking appropriate rectification action. All defects which are serious in nature shall be intimated immediately by all operators to DGCA.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The government ministry responsible for civil aviation in India.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question was raised.
SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK: Member of Parliament who raised the question in Lok Sabha.
SHRI BALWANT BASWANT WANKHADE: Member of Parliament who raised the question in Lok Sabha.
Civil Aviation Requirements CAR: Regulations specifying procedures for recording, reporting, investigating, and analyzing defects in aircraft.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA: The Indian governmental regulatory body for civil aviation.
Shri Murlidhar Mohol: Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO: A UN specialized agency which codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
Lok Sabha
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1868
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 31st July 2025 )
DEFECTS IN AIRCRAFTS
1868. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK
SHRI BALWANT BASWANT WANKHADE
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) the number of defects reported and recorded for commercial airlines
operating in the country since 2021-22, year-wise and category-wise;
(b) the total number of investigations conducted with regard to such
defects since 2023-24, year-wise;
(c) whether any airlines have failed to comply with Civil Aviation
Requirements (CAR) provisions for recording, reporting, investigating or
rectifying defects and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken
thereon;
(d) the total number of passenger complaints filed with the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), year-wise; and
(e) the details of the steps/new measures taken by the Government to
strengthen and enforce safety standards in light of the recent aviation
tragedy?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri
Murlidhar Mohol)
(a) to (c): DGCA has comprehensive regulations under Civil Aviation
Requirement (CAR) which specifies the manner in which defects/ service
difficulties in aircraft and aircraft components are to be recorded,
reported, investigated and analysed for the purpose of taking timely
corrective/preventive action. All aircraft operators shall have a system in
their organization to ensure that all defects, minor or others, whether
reported by Flight Crew or observed by Maintenance Crew are recordedand investigated for taking appropriate rectification action. All defects
which are serious in nature shall be intimated immediately by all
operators to DGCA. During the DGCA audit, if it is observed that defects
have not been reported by airline, DGCA initiates investigation and takes
appropriate action as per enforcement policy and procedure manual.;
;
Details of technical defects in aircraft reported since 2021 to 2025 (upto
June 2025) are as under:;
;
Year No. of Defects;
2021; 514
2022; 528
2023; 448
2024; 421
2025 183
;
A total of 2094 investigation has been carried out against serious
defect/snags reported during last 5 years (upto June 2025).
;
(d): Total number of passenger complaints filed with Directorate General
of Civil Aviation (DGCA) since 2021-22 are as under:;
;
Year No. of Complaints;
2021; 4131
2022; 3783
2023; 5513
2024; 4016
2025 3925
;
(e): Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has a comprehensive and
structured civil aviation regulations for safe operation of aircraft and its
maintenance. These regulations are continuously updated and aligned
with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)/European Union
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards. ;
Post-accident, DGCA enhanced the check and inspection of the critical
component of safety assurance in order to identify and rectify immediate
systemic issues.
******