IndiGo has the highest number of aircraft flagged for repetitive defects in safety audits carried out by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) since January 2025, according to data shared by the Union civil aviation ministry in Parliament.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the ministry said 377 aircraft were identified for repetitive defects out of 754 aircraft analysed across scheduled airlines, as of 3 February 2026.
IndiGo, Air India top the list
IndiGo topped the list with 148 aircraft identified for repetitive defects out of 405 aircraft analysed. Air India followed, with 137 aircraft flagged out of 166 analysed. Air India Express had 54 aircraft identified for repetitive defects out of 101 analysed, while SpiceJet had 16 out of 43. Akasa Air had 14 out of 32, and Alliance Air had 8 aircraft identified against 7 analysed, according to the annexure shared by the ministry.
Fault reports show decline, but audits flag repeat issues
While the audit findings point to repeated defects, the ministry said the overall number of technical faults reported in flights has declined over the last three years. It reported 448 technical faults in 2023, 421 in 2024, and 353 in 2025.
The government said DGCA carried out extensive oversight activities through 2025, including 3,890 surveillance inspections, 56 regulatory audits, 492 ramp checks, and 550 night surveillance exercises, apart from spot checks and surveillance of foreign aircraft.
It also said DGCA has mandated tracking of surveillance and enforcement actions through the eGCA portal for real-time monitoring.
IndiGo also led December cancellations
The data on safety audits comes amid a wider regulatory focus on airline operations after a sharp spike in cancellations in late 2025. In December 2025, Indian airlines cancelled 6,890 flights, affecting 966,864 passengers, as per information submitted by airlines to the ministry. IndiGo accounted for 5,689 cancellations, impacting 902,384 passengers, while the Air India group reported 924 cancellations, affecting 43,278 passengers.
Separately, the Ministry told Parliament that IndiGo cancelled 6,936 flights over the last three months, affecting 1,081,680 passengers.
DGCA action on IndiGo
The government attributed the disruption at IndiGo in December 2025 to over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, deficiencies in system software support, and shortcomings in management structure and operational control. It also said adverse weather contributed to cancellations across airlines during the month.
Following the disruptions, DGCA imposed a one-time financial penalty of Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo and directed the airline to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore to ensure compliance with long-term corrective measures. It also directed the removal of the concerned senior vice-president from operational responsibilities, citing deficiencies in oversight.