6 aircraft engine shutdowns, three Mayday calls this year: Civil Aviation Minister

New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS) A total of six aircraft engine shutdown incidents and three Mayday call incidents have been reported this year, according to the civil aviation ministry.

IndiGo and SpiceJet each experienced two engine shutdown incidents, while Air India and Alliance Air had one incident each, as per data shared by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol with the Rajya Sabha.

Three Mayday call incidents have occurred, including one involving the Air India aircraft (London Gatwick-bound flight AI 171) that crashed into a building soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. IndiGo and Air India Express each reported one Mayday call incident.

A Mayday call is a widely used distress signal, primarily used in aviation and maritime emergencies. A pilot repeats Mayday thrice to inform the air traffic controller on the ground that the aircraft is in a life-threatening situation and needs urgent help. "During 2025, from January to July (till date), a total of 6 incidents of engine shutdown and a total of 3 incidents of Mayday calls have been reported," Mohol said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

In a separate written reply, the minister mentioned that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report, published based on available factual information on July 12, does not contain any conclusion about the Air India plane crash and that the probe is still ongoing.

To a question on whether the government will investigate the crash from a sabotage angle, the Minister said, "Every aspect is being looked into for determining the probable causes or contributory factors leading to the accident".

On July 30, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) flagged 51 safety lapses at Air India during its annual audit. These included outdated training manuals, incomplete pilot training, unqualified simulators, and irregularities in low-visibility operation approvals.

Of these lapses, seven were classified as critical Level I breaches, which the airline was instructed to address by July 30. The remaining 44 non-compliances must be rectified by August 23.

The DGCA’s action followed recent enforcement measures, including the grounding of an Air India aircraft found to have an overdue inspection of its emergency slide — a crucial safety feature.

--IANS

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