3 Air India Officials Removed, Aviation Body Threatens To Withdraw Licence
New Delhi:
Civil aviation regulator DGCA has ordered the immediate removal of three senior Air India officials, including a divisional vice president, from all responsibilities related to flight crew scheduling and rostering. The directive is among the sternest interventions in recent months involving a full-service scheduled airline. The DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned carrier to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against the three unnamed officials without further delay. Failure to do so would result in severe action, including the possibility of the airline losing its operating permission.
The DGCA's action stems from its audit of Air India's Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC), which oversees crew deployment across the airline's domestic and international network. According to the show cause notice issued by the regulator, two flights operated by Air India - AI133 from Bengaluru to London Heathrow on May 16 and May 17 - exceeded the maximum flight duty time limitation of 10 hours. The operation of these flights violated Para 6.1.3 of the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 7, Series J, Part III, Issue III, dated 24 April 2019, according to the show cause notice.
The flights in question were not emergency or exceptional operations. The DGCA contends they were regular long-haul services.
The DGCA issued a show cause notice to Air India's Accountable Manager, typically a high-ranking official. The notice demands an explanation within seven days from the date of receipt, asking why enforcement action should not be initiated under relevant provisions.
"Failure to submit your reply within the stipulated period shall result in the matter being decided ex parte based on the evidence available on record," the regulator warned.
Responding to the directive, Air India acknowledged the seriousness of the observations made by the DGCA.
"We acknowledge the regulator's directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices," Air India said in a statement.
The IOCC is a key component in any airline's structure, responsible for real-time crew management, flight dispatch, weather monitoring, and route planning. Missteps or regulatory non-compliance at this level can directly affect passenger safety and crew welfare.
Understanding The Rules
1. As per DGCA norms, pilots operating in a cockpit must meet specific qualification criteria to be paired with each other. These criteria include factors such as the number of flying hours each pilot has logged, so that the combined total of experience in the cockpit meets a prescribed minimum threshold.
2. Both pilots must also be qualified for specific operational requirements, for example, low-visibility operations, 'Atlantic qualifications', or clearances for operating in high-altitude or critical airfields such as Leh or Ladakh.
3. Valid Licenses: It is mandatory for the airline to ensure that both pilots at the controls meet all licensing requirements. Their licenses must be current, and all mandated refresher courses and proficiency checks must be up to date.
4. Systemic Failures: There are indications of repeated violations of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. These include requirements to provide pilots with adequate rest before a flight and compliance with similar guidelines.
Questions Being Raised
1. Why are these violations not flagged by the software systems?
2. Why are such issues not preempted or prevented before pilots operate flights?
3. This points to the possibility of manual overrides of automated systems. Is the rostering process being manipulated?
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
DGCA takes Air India to task over ‘systemic errors'
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The regulator warned that 'any future violation of crew scheduling norms, licensing, or flight time limitations detected in any post-audit or inspection, will attract strict enforcement action, including but not limited to penalties, license suspension, or withdrawal of operator permissions as applicable.' In a statement, Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order and 'in the interim, the company's chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the IOCC.' 'Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,' the airline stated. The regulator separately issued a show-cause notice to the airline, seen by HT, for breaching flight duty time limits of its crew on a London-Bengaluru flight on two occasions. Another document, an internal DGCA email seen by HT, suggested the regulator is putting together a compilation of all inspections and audits conducted on Air India during 2024 and 2025. The email, sent by assistant director Himanshu Srivastava — the same official who signed the enforcement order — requests 'details of all inspections and audits conducted for Air India during the years 2024 and 2025 (till date)' including findings, inspection types, and officer names, with a tight deadline of June 22. The June 20 order directed Air India to immediately remove Choorah Singh, divisional vice president of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC); Pinky Mittal, chief manager-DOPS, crew scheduling; and Payal Arora, crew scheduling-planning from all roles related to crew scheduling and rostering. The violations stem from incidents that the regulator said occurred during Air India's transition from one system for flight and crew management to another. 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The 2024 incident involved 'a flight commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer,' which the DGCA described as 'a serious scheduling incident having significant safety ramifications.' The regulator subsequently imposed a ₹ 90 lakh fine on Air India and additional penalties of ₹ 6 lakh and ₹ 3 lakh on the airline's director operations and director training respectively. Safety expert Mohan Ranganathan, said the regulator's 'order and show cause notice seems to be an effort to just show that they are working actively.' Another expert, Mark Martin of Martin Consulting, asked: 'Why is the order for something that happened a year back, coming out now?' Crew scheduling and duty time limitations are fundamental safety measures in aviation, designed to prevent pilot fatigue and ensure only qualified personnel operate aircraft. 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Time of India
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- Time of India
DGCA Asks Air India to Act Against 3 Errant Officials
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The Hindu
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- The Hindu
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