DGCA Takes Action Against Air India Officials Following Safety Violations

Strict Measures by DGCA Against Air India Management

India's aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has imposed strict penalties on three senior officials from Air India. This decision follows their repeated violations of crucial regulations concerning flight crew scheduling, as reported by a leading news outlet.

Air India acknowledged its errors in crew scheduling practices. Investigations revealed that certain crew members were permitted to operate flights despite not fulfilling essential criteria, such as holding valid licenses, having adequate rest, or possessing recent flying experience. These discrepancies were uncovered during a review prompted by the airline's transition from the Aviation Resource Management System (ARMS) to the new CAE Flight and Crew Management System.

The DGCA identified three officials accountable for these lapses: Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager of Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, a member of the Crew Scheduling – Planning team.

This directive was issued shortly after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick tragically crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the loss of all 241 passengers on board.

The officials are being held responsible for significant and repeated errors, including assigning crew members without proper approvals, violating critical licensing rules, and neglecting proper scheduling protocols.

The DGCA has mandated Air India to relieve these three officials from any responsibilities related to crew scheduling and duty roster creation.

Furthermore, the DGCA has instructed that these officials be assigned to non-operational roles until all issues within the scheduling system are rectified. The order emphasized, “Internal disciplinary actions must be initiated against these officials without delay, and the results of such actions should be reported to this office within 10 days from the issuance of this letter.”

The DGCA cautioned that any future infractions discovered during inspections or audits would lead to severe repercussions for the airline. The order concluded with a warning that any violations of crew scheduling standards, licensing, or flight time limitations could result in strict enforcement actions, including penalties, license suspensions, or revocation of operational permissions.