India's aviation boom faces turbulence amid safety concerns

A series of crises at India's two main carriers, Air India and IndiGo, has exposed safety and regulatory shortcomings in the world's third-largest domestic aviation market.

An IndiGo Airlines aircraft prepares to take off at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on May 8, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Niharika Kulkarni)

MUMBAI: One year ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the airline sector as a symbol of a rising India poised to "soar to great heights".

A series of crises at India's two main carriers, Air India and IndiGo, has exposed safety and regulatory shortcomings in the world's third-largest domestic aviation market.

The turmoil has been compounded by geopolitical shocks that have squeezed profits and forced airlines to reassess expansion plans.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less The setbacks have highlighted the lack of competition, with Air India and IndiGo together accounting for nine out of 10 domestic airline seats.

"The last two years, 2025 and 2026, have been the darkest years for India in terms of its global reputation and credibility," said Mark Martin of Martin Consulting.

The latest blow came earlier this month when an Air India flight from Thailand's Phuket to New Delhi plunged 91m midair, injuring 24 passengers.

The incident sparked scrutiny after reports that the captain tested positive for marijuana upon landing, prompting Air India to order a one-time drug screening of all pilots.

For many observers, the episode is part of a broader pattern that has kept Air India under the spotlight since last year's crash of a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that killed 241 people.

An unrelated audit of Air India identified around 100 safety lapses, including seven violations requiring "urgent corrective action" and "recurrent training gaps" for Boeing 787 and 777 pilots, according to a parliamentary panel report.

The safety culture at Air India is "lax", said Shakti Lumba, a former airline operations chief.