EU Aviation Safety Authority Pulls VSR Ventures Flight Permit Over 2023 Learjet Incident
EASA Revokes VSR Ventures’ Safety Certification After Mumbai Learjet Incident
Cologne : The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has withdrawn the Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation of VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd following a 2023 accident involving one of its Learjet aircraft at Mumbai’s airport.
On 14 September 2023, a Learjet 45XR operated by VSR Ventures registered VT-DBL was on a scheduled flight from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai when it veered off runway 27 while attempting to land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said. The jet drifted to the right side of the runway and came to rest on the shoulder near the junction of taxiways W and N.
There were two crew members and six passengers on board. The co-pilot sustained serious injuries, while the pilot-in-command (PIC) and all six passengers suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed in the ordeal. No final accident report has been submitted even though more than two years have passed, with only a preliminary report completed to date.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended the Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation for VSR Ventures after a Learjet 45XR accident in 2023. According to the DGCA, a Learjet 45 aircraft operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd was involved in an accident on 14…
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2026
EASA’s suspension of VSR Ventures’ TCO clearance means the firm no longer holds the necessary safety authorization required to operate flights to or within European Union airspace. The regulatory action followed the operator’s failure to fully respond to the aviation authority’s requests for information and documentation related to the 2023 runway excursion, reports suggest.
The measure comes amid heightened scrutiny of VSR Ventures after another Learjet crash on 28 January 2026 near Baramati Airport in Pune district, which claimed the lives of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. In the aftermath, Pawar’s son, Jay Pawar, has called for a transparent investigation and urged suspension of the operator’s flight operations, insisting that aviation authorities provide a full accounting of the earlier crash.
The suspension underscores broader concerns about regulatory compliance and safety oversight in private aviation, as authorities in India and abroad continue to assess operational risks and enforcement measures.
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