NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Wednesday said it has had 263 ‘findings’ (lapses found during audits) across eight airlines in the last one year. Among big airlines, 51 ‘findings’ were at Air India, followed by 25 at Air India Express and 23 at IndiGo.Of the total 263, 19 were level one or significant ‘findings’, detected at erstwhile Vistara, AI and AI Express. The remaining 244 were level 2 or other non-compliances, with the small state-owned Alliance Airlines – which flies a handful of planes, with a large part of its fleet currently grounded – leading with 57 ‘findings’.

In a statement shared along with this data, the DGCA, however, said: “A higher number of audit findings is entirely normal for airlines with extensive operations and large fleet sizes. The quantum and scale of their activities mean that such observations reflect the breadth and depth of their operations rather than any unusual lapse. Globally, aviation regulators routinely encounter similar patterns with major carriers due to the diversity and intensity of their undertakings.“The DGCA statement came a day after reports that its audit of Air India between July 1 and 4 had found around 100 safety violations. Agency reports said the violations included seven level 1 or significant breaches that require correction by July 30, and 44 other non-compliances that need to be resolved by Aug 23. AI, on its part, said it was “fully transparent” during the audit and will respond to the regulator in the stipulated timeframe along with “details of corrective action taken”.The aviation regulator says it conducts audits as part of its continuous oversight responsibilities. “Based on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements and global best practices, these audits are needed to enhance the safety of operations and ensure compliance, and continuous improvement across all facets of airline operations. These audits findings aid in areas requiring improvement. This is as per annual surveillance plan under safety oversight programme,” the aviation regulator in a statement added.Upon completion of each audit, the airline concerned is formally notified and is required to submit timely compliance and corrective action taken reports. The DGCA closely monitors these responses and ensures that all necessary measures are taken to maintain and enhance safety standards, the DGCA statement said.