Parliamentary Panel Flags Air India Safety Concerns, Seeks CAG Audit Post-Tata Takeover

• A Parliamentary Standing Committee has raised significant safety concerns in India's aviation sector.
• The panel recommends a performance audit of Air India by CAG for safety compliance since Tata Group's takeover in January 2022.
• DGCA audits revealed numerous safety lapses, including 100 violations, and recurring technical defects in hundreds of aircraft.
• The report highlights systemic fragilities, citing crashes, mass cancellations, and persistent delays.
• Concerns were also raised about DGCA's 48.3% staff vacancy rate, impacting its surveillance capacity, urging urgent recruitment and a high-level safety review panel.