New Delhi — India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has revealed that 65 in-flight engine shutdowns have been reported since 2020, alongside 11 declared “Mayday” emergencies over the last 17 months. The data, released in response to growing concerns about aviation safety, highlights the operational challenges facing India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector.
According to DGCA officials, the engine shutdowns spanned multiple airlines and aircraft types, and occurred under various operational circumstances. While most incidents were managed safely with successful landings, the regulator said each case was thoroughly investigated and corrective actions implemented where necessary.
“All reported incidents are subject to detailed technical examination,” a senior DGCA official said. “In most cases, the redundancies built into modern aircraft systems ensured safe outcomes, but we treat every incident with the utmost seriousness.”
The 11 “Mayday” calls—aviation’s highest level of emergency—were declared between February 2024 and July 2025. While the regulator did not specify the individual carriers or routes involved, it confirmed that no fatalities occurred in any of these emergencies.
Mayday calls typically involve severe technical malfunctions, engine failure, smoke or fire on board, or medical emergencies that require immediate priority landing. The DGCA noted that in most of the 11 cases, aircraft were safely diverted and landed without injury to passengers or crew.
The disclosure comes amid heightened scrutiny of operational safety, especially following the recent runway excursion involving an Air India Boeing 777 in Mumbai. That incident, although not resulting in fatalities, has triggered calls for stronger oversight of safety and maintenance practices across Indian carriers.
In response, the DGCA says it has intensified spot checks and audits of airline engineering departments, with special attention to engine performance monitoring, flight crew training, and emergency response protocols.
“India’s aviation sector is growing at an unprecedented pace, and regulatory oversight must keep pace with that growth,” said aviation safety analyst Capt. Ravi Mathur. “These engine shutdowns and mayday reports are reminders that the safety net must constantly be reinforced.”
India is currently the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, with passenger numbers expected to surpass 450 million annually by 2030. However, infrastructure and technical capacity—particularly in terms of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) support—have at times struggled to match that growth.
In its statement, the DGCA reassured the flying public that India’s commercial aviation remains safe by global standards and that all safety incidents are reviewed under internationally accepted frameworks, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols.
The agency has also urged airlines to enhance their internal safety reporting systems and to encourage a “just culture” where crew and engineers feel comfortable reporting anomalies without fear of punitive action.
As India continues to add more aircraft and routes to its airspace, industry stakeholders say transparency, rigorous oversight, and proactive risk management will be key to maintaining safety standards
