The civil aviation ministry on Monday said 99 planes were grounded this year till March 25 due to technical defects and maintenance delays.

"Aircraft grounded due to technical defects or maintenance delays were reported as 356 in 2023, 414 in 2024, 567 in 2025, and 99 in 2026 (as on 25.03.2026)," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha.

In a written reply, he also said there was "no overall shortage of pilots or crew in the Indian aviation sector".

However, there is a shortage of experienced commanders on certain aircraft types, which is being managed by employing foreign pilots under Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA), he added.

Meanwhile, in a separate written reply, the minister said Indian airlines are incurring significant revenue losses due to the Middle East crisis.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued multiple advisories to address and ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft evolving from the risks arising from the Middle East conflict.

"These advisories provide operational guidance on affected airspace, including NOTAM, identification of high-risk areas, FIR boundaries, and impacted countries, enabling operators to plan safe routing after conducting comprehensive Safety Risk Assessments," the minister said.

While DGCA is closely monitoring the operations, Indian Missions in the West Asian region have been closely coordinating with host governments to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals.

"As informed by Indian carriers including IndiGo and Air India, Indian carriers are incurring significant revenue losses due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East," Mohol said.