Over 100 Air India Pilots Took Sick Leave Days After Ahmedabad Dreamliner Crash
Air India witnessed a minor increase in sick leaves reported by pilots across all its fleets in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 270 people last month.
As many as 112 Air India pilots across all fleets took sick leave just four days after the ill-fated Boeing Dreamliner aircraft bound for London crashed in Ahmedabad that claimed over 270 lives on June 12.
In response to a Lok Sabha query on whether Air India has been experiencing mass sick reporting by its flight crew members following the crash, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed the minor increase in pilot sick reporting on Thursday, as reported by news agency PTI.
He informed that out of the total pilots who asked for leave on June 16, 61 were first officers or senior pilots and the rest 51 were commanders/flight officers.
'Air India reported a minor increase in sick leaves reported by pilots across all fleets in the aftermath of the AI-171 accident. On 16.06.2025, a total of 112 pilots reported sick, comprising of 51 Commanders (P1) and 61 First Officers (P2)," the minister said in a written reply.
However, the minister denied any instance of mass sick reporting by flight crew post-crash.
Mohol also highlighted the need to recognise and manage pilots' mental health, particularly after a crash.
He said, airlines and airport authorities were also instructed to introduce 'standalone and customised training capsules" for flight crew and air traffic controllers to manage potential mental health problems.
'Additionally, on mental health monitoring, the organisations (scheduled and non-scheduled operators, FTOs and AAI) were also advised to have a Peer Support Programme (PSP) in place for their employees. The organisations are required to enable, facilitate and ensure access to this proactive and non-punitive programme that will assist and support flight crew/ATCOs in recognising, coping with and overcoming any problem," Mohol said.
FTOs and AAI refer to Flying Training Organisations and the Airports Authority of India, respectively.
In another written reply, Mohol said that at present, there is no specific policy with the civil aviation ministry related to compensation for damages suffered by civilians on the ground due to a plane crash.
DGCA Notices To Air India
Meanwhile, aviation regulator DGCA has issued four show cause notices to Air India for various violations related to cabin crew rest and duty norms, cabin crew training rules and operational procedures, a month after the airline made certain voluntary disclosures to the watchdog, PTI reported.
The show cause notices were issued on July 23 on the basis of voluntary disclosures made by the airline to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 20 and 21, sources told the news agency.
'We acknowledge receipt of these notices from the regulator related to certain voluntary disclosures that were made over the last one year by Air India. We will respond to the said notices within the stipulated period. We remain committed to the safety of our crew and passengers," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.
Air India Crash
India witnessed one of its worst aviation tragedies on June 12 after a London-bound Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. 275 people lost their lives including 120 men, 124 women, and 16 children.
One person survived the tragedy. The lone survivor was identified as Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh who was returning to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Rakesh, 45, who was in a different row inside the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Meanwhile, the preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India crash was released earlier this month. While it has answered a critical question on what led to the crash just minutes after the flight took off from Ahmedabad airport—cutting off of fuel supply to the engines—it has left many unanswered questions.
(With inputs from agencies)
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