Air India to Bring Aircraft Maintenance In-House

In a major change after the tragic crash of Flight AI171 in June, Air India has decided to stop depending on outside help for checking and fixing its planes. Instead, the airline will now start doing much of the aircraft maintenance by itself. This move is very important for Air India, which is now owned by the Tata Group, and shows that the airline wants to improve its safety standards, gain the public’s trust again, and modernize how it works.

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What Happened: The AI171 Crash Changed Everything

In June, Flight AI171 sadly crashed. While the exact reason for the crash is still being studied by experts, the event shocked the entire country and raised serious questions about airline safety in India. After the crash, emergency inspections were carried out, a safety audit was ordered for all airlines, and long-haul international flights were temporarily reduced.

Although Air India had already been planning to change its aircraft maintenance system since it was privatized in 2022, the crash of AI171 pushed the airline to speed up this change.

What Is Changing in Air India’s Maintenance Plan?

Before this decision, Air India was depending on Air India Engineering Services Ltd. (AIESL) — a government-owned company — to look after its aircraft. AIESL used to do pre-flight checks, inspections, and fix small problems in the planes. But now, Air India wants to take these responsibilities back and do them inside the company.

According to Bloomberg, which first reported this news by speaking to people close to the matter, Air India will now:

• Do pre-flight safety checks itself

• Perform daily aircraft inspections internally

• Handle small mechanical issues and troubleshooting in-house

This new maintenance plan will be slowly introduced, and Singapore Airlines (SIA), which owns 25.1% of Air India, will help the airline with this big change. Singapore Airlines is one of the safest and most respected airlines in the world and is offering technical help, advice, and guidance to Air India.

Why Air India Is Ending Outsourcing to AIESL

This isn’t a sudden decision. Air India had been unhappy with AIESL’s service for some time. Inside the company, there were growing complaints about:

• Poor aircraft cleaning and hygiene

• Low-quality maintenance and slow turnaround times

Even before the crash, the airline had noticed these issues. But because Air India was trying to focus on improving passenger services and keeping planes flying, the decision to bring maintenance in-house was delayed. Now, things have changed.

An Air India spokesperson said in an email that India’s current Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) system cannot handle the needs of Air India’s growing fleet. The airline now has over 300 aircraft, including both full-service and low-cost flights. That’s a lot of planes to take care of.

“To ensure world-class reliability and safety, we must invest in building strong MRO capabilities within the country,” the spokesperson said.

Singapore Airlines Steps In to Help

Interestingly, the relationship between Air India and Singapore Airlines goes back a long way. In the 1970s, Air India had helped SIA with technical support. Now, the roles have reversed.

As a major investor and partner in Air India, Singapore Airlines is now helping the Indian airline to:

• Train staff in aircraft maintenance

• Build strong systems and processes

• Share best practices for safety and performance

A spokesperson from Singapore Airlines confirmed that they are providing "expertise and support to Air India where necessary."

Safety Concerns: DGCA Report Puts Pressure on Air India

The crash of AI171 didn’t just lead to this one change. It revealed many problems that had been building up. According to India’s aviation regulator — the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — Air India had the highest number of safety-related problems among all Indian airlines.

Here are the numbers from the DGCA’s latest safety audit:

• Air India Group: 93 safety issues

• IndiGo: 23 issues

• SpiceJet: 14 issues

These issues were found even before the AI171 crash, which makes the situation more serious. After the crash, Air India and its low-cost branch, Air India Express, faced more technical problems, flight delays, and emergency landings.

More than 80 Air India flights were cancelled in just one week after the accident. Although not all of these were due to technical problems, the poor communication with passengers and delays made travelers lose confidence in the airline.

Air India’s Big Reset and the Way Forward

It’s clear that the crash was a turning point. Air India is now going through a complete reset. The airline knows that if it wants to keep growing and competing globally, it must offer safe, reliable, and comfortable service. It can no longer take chances with its maintenance and safety.

India’s aviation industry is growing very fast, but the systems that keep it running — like maintenance, regulation, and inspections — are not growing at the same speed. That’s why this decision by Air India to take control of its own aircraft maintenance could be one of the most important steps for the airline.

By improving its in-house systems and getting help from Singapore Airlines, Air India hopes to:

• Improve safety and reduce technical problems

• Avoid delays and cancellations

• Win back the trust of passengers

• Meet international standards of aviation

A New Chapter for Air India

The journey ahead won’t be easy. Building a complete maintenance system from the ground up takes time, money, and training. But if done correctly, it will help Air India avoid future problems and become one of the most reliable airlines in the world.

Passengers are watching closely. After a tragic crash, multiple technical issues, and a record number of safety warnings, they want to feel safe and respected again. This move shows that Air India is finally listening and making real changes — not just promises.

In the coming months, we’ll see how this new strategy works out. But one thing is clear — the time for patchwork fixes is over. Air India has begun a new chapter, and safety is now front and center.

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