Aviation complaints in India surge—match 2024's total in 6 months
What's the story
The Indian aviation sector is experiencing significant challenges, with passenger complaints and technical aircraft issues on the rise. Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu revealed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received a staggering number of complaints in the first half of 2025. The figure is nearly 98% of the total complaints registered for all of 2024.
Complaint surge
DGCA received 3,925 passenger complaints from January to June
In a written response to MP Mukul Balkrishna Wasnik's query, Naidu said that the DGCA received 3,925 passenger complaints from January to June this year. The figure is alarmingly close to the 4,016 complaints registered for all of 2024. To put things into perspective, the DGCA had received 5,513 complaints in 2023; 3,783 in 2022; and 4,131 in 2021.
Defect concerns
Technical defects in aircraft also a major concern
Along with passenger complaints, technical defects in aircraft have also become a major concern. Naidu's response revealed that as of June 2025, 183 technical defects were reported—43% of the total 421 defects recorded in 2024. In comparison, there were 448 defects reported in 2023, 528 in 2022, and 514 in 2021.
Safety measures
Over 2,000 investigations conducted into serious defects
Over the last five years, a total of 2,094 investigations have been conducted into serious defects or snags reported in aircraft up to June 2025. Naidu emphasized that all aircraft operators must have systems in place to ensure that defects—whether reported by flight crews or maintenance teams—are recorded and investigated promptly. "All defects which are serious in nature are intimated immediately to DGCA," he said.
Safety regulations
Air India crash kills 260 people
The minister's comments come after a tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed 260 people, including 241 out of 242 onboard. Addressing the steps taken to bolster safety, Naidu said, "DGCA has comprehensive and structured civil aviation regulations for safe operation of aircraft and its maintenance." He added these regulations are continuously updated and aligned with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)/European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.