Nearly 80% of Air India passengers say there are problems with Air India aircraft

 Report, photo copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

According to data released by the survey platform LocalCircles, nearly 80% of Air India passengers said they had encountered aircraft quality and maintenance problems in the past 12 months, a proportion that increased sharply from 55% in 2024 to 79% in 2025, and passenger satisfaction dropped significantly, according to Business Standard.

One of the reasons for the surge in passenger dissatisfaction this time was the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171. The accident killed 241 people on board and triggered widespread doubts among passengers about Air India's safety standards. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is currently under close scrutiny by regulators, focusing on whether there are omissions in safety inspections and possible problems in long-term maintenance.

Passenger trust continues to decline

The survey also showed that the overall trust of passengers is declining significantly. Many people not only canceled or postponed their trips due to fear, but also were dissatisfied with the frequent flight delays caused by the airline's enhanced technical inspections after the accident.

The survey covered 15,000 respondents in 307 regions in India, including urban and rural passenger groups. Among them, 63% were men and 37% were women.

Despite slight improvements in punctuality and employee service, overall, passenger dissatisfaction in multiple service dimensions is increasing.

Increasing regulatory pressure

In response to continued public concern, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India has launched an investigation into the air crash, focusing specifically on Air India's repair and maintenance processes. However, the DGCA has not yet responded to the service quality issues generally reported by passengers.

Under continued public pressure, three senior managers of Air India responsible for crew scheduling were suspended on 22 June 2025. The DGCA also warned that if similar violations occur again, the airline's operating license may be affected.

At present, the outside world is calling for the establishment of a regulatory team jointly composed of the Indian Civil Aviation Authority and the Indian Consumer Protection Bureau to strengthen comprehensive supervision of aviation safety and service quality to ensure passenger rights and flight safety.