EASA bans VSR Ventures: EU regulator suspends Indian charter firm after Ajit Pawar tragedy

New Delhi: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended the operational authorisation for Indian charter firm VSR Ventures following a 2023 Learjet 45XR accident, a move that comes amid renewed scrutiny after a second fatal crash involving the same operator last month.

The suspension of the Third Country Operator (TCO) permit was triggered by the company's repeated failure to cooperate with investigations into a September 2023 incident at Mumbai Airport. In that accident, a VSR Ventures Learjet 45 flying from Visakhapatnam veered off the runway during heavy rain, drifting into a taxiway intersection, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft. While all eight people on board survived, the co-pilot sustained serious injuries.

Despite nearly two and a half years having passed since the Mumbai crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has yet to release a final report, having published only preliminary findings to date.

The Baramati Tragedy

The regulatory crackdown follows the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed on Jan. 28, 2026, when another Learjet 45 operated by VSR Ventures crashed during a landing attempt at Baramati Airport in Pune district. Four others, including two pilots, also perished in the accident.

Jay Pawar, the late Deputy Chief Minister's son, broke his silence Wednesday to demand a transparent and exhaustive inquiry. He dismissed any suggestion that flight data could be lost, asserting that "black boxes in the aircraft accident cannot be easily destroyed."

"The people of Maharashtra have the right to know the complete, transparent and undeniable truth about this tragic incident that has shaken their hearts," Pawar said. He has formally called for the immediate grounding of VSR Ventures' remaining fleet and a "comprehensive, impartial investigation into potential serious irregularities" regarding the airline's maintenance protocols.

Ongoing Investigations

The AAIB confirmed Tuesday that while the Digital Flight Data Recorder from the Baramati crash has been successfully downloaded, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) suffered extensive fire damage. The agency has sought "specialised support" from the United States, the state of the aircraft's manufacture, to retrieve the remaining data.

EASA's suspension order noted that VSR Ventures had ignored multiple reminders to submit a root cause analysis and corrective action plans following the 2023 Mumbai accident. The agency stated it could not verify the operator's continued compliance with safety requirements in the absence of this data.

The Maharashtra state government has declared a period of mourning for the senior leader, while central authorities face mounting pressure to explain why the operator was allowed to continue flying after the initial safety lapses were flagged by international regulators.

With inputs from ANI