Hyderabad: Sixty-six in-flight engine shutdown in five years. The eleven “May day” crisis calls from the aircraft’s cockpits in 17 months, crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, except the London -bound AI -171 and a diverted domestic Indigo flight.This number obtained by TOI through Right to Information (RTI) Query for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suggests a scary reality: Engine malfunction plague airlines are operated at a rate of almost an event in India in India.The Fuel Cut-off for engines AI Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in the report of the Bureau of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau refers to the wider pattern of technical failures being handled by experienced pilots, unless a crop is unbearable.DGCA data includes all engine shutdowns, including failures during take-off and mid-air. In the RTI North of the aviation regulator, it is said, “A total of 65 incidents related to the in-flight shutdown of engines from 2020 to 2025 (Aaj Tak) were reported across India.”In all these examples, the pilots were able to safely maneuver at the nearest airport with a single, unaffected engine. Experts characterize the engine shutdown for technical issues from low fuel to turbine malfunction and faulty electronic components.“The primary causes of the engine shutdown include blocked fuel filters, fuel contamination with water, interrupted in fuel supply to engines, and exotic items entering the engine stack, which can prevent all flight operations,” Captain CS Randhwa, president of the Federation of Indian pilots, told TOI.RTI data suggests that between 1, 2024, and 31 May, 2025, there were Mayade calls from 11 flights, demanding various technical glitter reporting and emergency landing. In addition to the AI -171, the list does not include the Indigo flight from Guwahati to Chennai on June 19, which was to be redirected to Bengaluru due to the crowd at the destination, only to report a low fuel around 35 km before landing for the aircraft.RTI data shows that four of the 11 flights released crisis calls due to technical glits and landed in Hyderabad. Airline Pilot Association of India says that meyade signals are exclusively used in life-threatening conditions, distinguishing them from “PAN PAN” instantaneous alerts.ALPA India secretary Anil Rao said, “The flight crew started the day, when the aircraft fire, engine failures or adjacent threats are faced with significant emergency conditions, requiring immediate landing or grounding, as the continuous flight becomes unsafe.”AX Joseph, director of Air Safety at DGCA, stated that the aviation regulator “for compliance to ensure civil aviation requirements, circular, aeronautical information circular and public notice”.While experts say in-Flight engine shutdown and myde calls are not uncommon worldwide, India’s position in global aviation safety standards may not be inspired by confidence. The International Civil Aviation Organization has placed the country at 48th in its worldwide security monitoring system.
