In response to a Right to Information (RTI) request, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) disclosed that India had recorded 11 Mayday distress calls in the last 17 months, excluding the crash of Air India's London-bound flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on 12 June and the diversion of domestic IndiGo flight, cite the media reports. Along with these Mayday calls, DGCA stated that India has reported 65 in-flight engine shutdowns since 2020.
There is a pattern of recurring technical failures faced by Indian airplanes. DGCA confirmed that the majority of engine problems happened during takeoff or mid-air, indicating a pattern of frequent technical malfunctions in Indian aircraft. Aviation experts caution that not all malfunctions can be safely handled in the future, even though pilots have been able to control a number of these incidents.
Mayday calls asked for emergency landings -
A total of 11 Mayday calls were made by aircraft operating in Indian airspace between January 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, mostly as a result of technical difficulties requiring emergency landings. According to official data, four of these flights had to make emergency landings in Hyderabad.
Also Read: Fuel switch checks ordered on boeing jets after Air India crash
Concern over the frequency of malfunctions in Indian carriers -
Experts have expressed concern over the frequency with which the airlines are reporting the incidents. To maintain operational safety standards, the DGCA regularly publishes safety circulars, public notices, and Civil Aviation Requirements, according to AX Joseph, Director of Air Safety.
Anil Rao, secretary of the Airline Pilots' Association of India, said, “Flight crew initiate MAYDAY calls when confronted with critical emergencies such as aircraft fires, engine failures or situations posing imminent danger, necessitating immediate landing or grounding as continued flight becomes unsafe.”
Captain C S Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, stated, "Primary causes of engine shutdowns include blocked fuel filters, fuel contamination with water, interrupted fuel supply to engines, and foreign objects entering engine stack, all of which can halt flight operations."
Indian Airlines directed to inspect fuel control -
In the meantime, India's aviation regulator has directed all airlines that operate Boeing 787 Dreamliners and certain B737 aircraft to check the locking mechanism of their fuel control switches following the Ahmedabad Air India flight crash. Air India Group, IndiGo, and SpiceJet are among the carriers impacted by the directive.
Also Read: AI-171 crash: No tech faults found, says Air India CEO
DGCA has issued 31 July 2025 as the deadline for the impacted aircrafts to complete the inspections.
"It has come to the notice of DGCA, that several operators—internationally as well as domestic—have initiated an inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the (Dec 17, 2018) SAIB.... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection (by) no later than July 21, 2025," DGCA stated in a statement.
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