New Delhi: “Safe, dependable, efficient”, reads the homepage of Delhi-based VSR Aviation, which has come under scrutiny after a Learjet from its fleet crashed in Maharashtra’s Baramati, killing the state’s Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar.
Soon after the crash VSR Aviation director told the press “it was the decision” of the pilot, now dead.
VSR Aviation has been flying Learjets that were flagged for landing gear defects by US aviation watchdog the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in October 2025. The NTSB had even issued an urgent recommendation that Learjet-manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace revise procedures to ensure the landing gear and retaining bolt are properly positioned.
The aircraft type had been involved in three accidents worldwide in 2022, 2023 and 2025 linked to similar issues.
Despite this, the company continued operations, promoting a luxury fleet of 17 aircraft, including multiple Learjets.
Asked whether VSR Ventures had been informed and asked to update the Learjet landing gear, a Bombardier Aerospace spokesperson refused to comment.
“We at Bombardier are deeply saddened by this tragic event and extend our sincerest sympathies to all those affected. We cannot comment on the potential cause of this accident until the investigation is complete, and we will support investigation authorities, including with any recommendations if needed,” the spokesperson told ThePrint in an emailed response.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), however, the aircraft that crashed Wednesday was last issued an airworthiness review certificate (ARC) in September 2025. Since then, the aircraft had logged nearly 86 flying hours, a MoCA spokesperson said. Certificate of Airworthiness of Aircraft issued by DGCA indicates that the aircraft meets all requirements and is in a safe condition for flight.
ThePrint reached out to VSR Aviation director Vijay Kumar Singh via call, text message and WhatsApp to ask whether the company had taken any corrective measures following the observations by the US watchdog. However, no response had been received at the time of filing this report. This report will be updated with his comments when he responds.
ThePrint also contacted DGCA to ask if the concern flagged by NTSB regarding faulty landing gears was taken into account before issuing the ARC. A response is awaited.
‘Pilot’s decision’
Soon after the crash, as the media rushed to the Mahipalpur office of VSR Aviation in south-west Delhi, director Vijay Kumar Singh told the press “it was the decision” of the pilot, now dead
“None of us was there, and it was the decision of the pilot. You know, he made an approach from runway 29, then carried out a missed approach, and then tried again from runway 11. I also have no contact with the pilots. They are not there. It is a very unfortunate decision. We are very sad about it. We are trying to first be with the families who have lost their next of kin. It is a very unfortunate incident,” he said.
“Primarily, it appears that the pilot could not see the runway… He was a very experienced pilot, with more than 16,000 hours of experience. The co-pilot also had 1,500 hours of experience. The captain was very experienced. He was with Sahara, JetLite, Jet Airways, and he was very experienced on this type of aeroplane too,” Singh added.
Learjet operator already under probe
VSR Aviation, run by father-son duo Vijay Kumar Singh and Rohit Singh, markets itself as an aviation company serving corporates and VIPs who need to travel to remote areas where regular commercial flights are unavailable. Its services are based in four major cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bhopal.
The firm’s website shows off its connections with top Union ministries such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and its subordinate agencies such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, as well as the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, a body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
But after Wednesday’s crash, the company’s credentials might be questioned. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a probe into the crash.
Even before the Baramati crash, the firm was already being probed by the AAIB for a near-mishap during a landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in September 2023. That too was a Learjet.
A MoCA spokesperson said VSR Aviation was granted a licence under the Non-Scheduled Operator (NSOP) category in April 2014, which was last renewed in April 2023 and is valid for five years, till April 2028.
It also said the DGCA conducted a regulatory audit in February 2025, during which no violations or safety-related issues were found.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)