India’s aviation regulator has taken several Air India employees off duty after it emerged that a 164-seat Airbus A320 operated eight commercial flights in November despite carrying an expired airworthiness certificate, according to Gulf News . The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded the aircraft, launched an investigation and directed the airline to undertake an internal review of its compliance procedures.

The lapse concerns the Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), an annual mandate that validates an aircraft’s Certificate of Airworthiness. The ARC is issued only after a thorough review of maintenance records, physical inspection and confirmation that all safety standards are being met.

Air India’s Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation normally i

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