Ahmedabad Plane Crash: How old plane airlines can fly? Is there DGCA guideline?

Did the Boeing Dreamliner crash because it was too old? Is there any DGCA guideline for flying aircraft of a particular age? These questions have cropped up after the Ahmedabad Plane Crash that killed more than 250 people. The ill-fated Air India aircraft that crashed Thursday in Ahmedabad was 11 years old. The Tata Group-owned company is the airline with one of the oldest fleets, with 70 of its aircraft being more than one decade old. 

Air India operates 15-year-old aircraft

Air India had 188 operational aircraft before the Ahmedabad Plane Crash. According to the data presented by the government in the Parliament this March, Air India's 43 aircraft are more than 15 years old, while 27 others are aged between 10 and 15 years. An analysis shows that a total of 59 Air India aircraft are aged between 5 and 10 years and 69 others are less than five years old. It means that 37% of Air India’s fleet is over 10 years old.

WATCH | The wreckage of the AI-171 plane hangs from BJ Medical College's building, which it crashed into soon after take-off from Ahmedabad airport yesterday

PM Modi visited the plane crash site today to assess the ground situation.

(video source: DD) pic.twitter.com/ScTDNv5nYz

— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025

Indigo operates 319 aircraft

The government data presented in the Parliament also shows that  IndiGo operates the most aircraft at 319, and Air India Express Ltd operates 101. However, IndiGo has a much younger fleet than Air India; 283 of its aircraft are less than 5 years old. It has only   23 aircraft that are more than a decade old. Indigo has a total of 97 aircraft that are aged between 5 and 10 years.

DGCA Guidelines?

Is there a guideline on how old an aircraft you can operate? In a reply to a question in Parliament, the government made it clear that there is no such guideline. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not prescribed guidelines specifying a lifespan for an aircraft to fly in India. The government said that the aircraft are considered airworthy provided they are maintained as per the approved schedule laid down by the manufacturer. 

The government also said in the Parliament that the aircraft registered in India may operate as long as the type certificate is valid for the type of aircraft and the aircraft is under production and maintenance support provided by the manufacturer.