DGCA takes Air India to task over ‘systemic errors'
The regulator cited what it said were 'systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability' — a strongly worded rebuke that poses questions about the airline's processes intrinsic to passenger safety.
Air India faces intense scrutiny following the June 12 crash of its London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 of 242 people aboard and at least 30 more on the ground.
Two more documents seen by HT suggest the regulator was in the midst of further ramping up scrutiny on the airline, including by initiating a compilation of all audits and checks carried out on Air India since 2024.
The regulator and Air India did not respond to requests for a comment on whether the order dated June 20 was related to the crash in Ahmedabad this month.
At least three experts HT spoke to welcomed the scrutiny and the reviews, but questioned if there was inadequate regulatory oversight before.
'Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses,' the DGCA stated in its enforcement order. 'These officials have been involved in serious and repeated lapses.'
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.
Specifically, the violations occurred 'during the post-transition review from ARMS to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System,' with the regulator noting that the voluntary disclosures by Air India revealed the extent of compliance failures during this technological upgrade.
An industry expert, who asked not to be named, said ARMS is a well-known software and is widely used.
The DGCA specifically cited three categories of violations: 'unauthorised and non-compliant crew pairings,' 'violation of mandatory licensing and recency norms,' and 'systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversight.'
An Air India official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the order is related to a case of non-compliant crew pairing that occurred in August last year, though the DGCA order suggests the issues are more widespread and ongoing.
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. The regulations require strict adherence to flight duty time limitations (FDTL) and mandate that crew pairings meet specific qualification and recency requirements.
'A crew rostering system is automated. You're not supposed to be partial to one crew over another. You're not supposed to intentionally put one crew member with another. The system needs to randomly roster cabin crew and pilots. All pilots should be given equal hours. All cabin crew should have enough,' Martin said.
The 2024 incident, additionally, appears to have involved pilots who were not adequately qualified operating together.
Flight 171, carrying 242 passengers and crew, departed Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM on June 12 bound for London when the pilot issued a Mayday distress call shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area, killing all but one person aboard and at least 30 others on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the cause of the crash, while authorities have announced plans to survey structures around the airport for potential height violations that could pose safety risks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Locals await meter connections for months
Residents across the city are at their wit's end as new electricity connections and load extensions remain pending for months, despite them having deposited the required charges months ago. Consumers said that even after completing all formalities, the power department has not released their connections, causing unnecessary delay and inconvenience. Consumers say that even after completing all formalities, the power department has not released their connections. (HT Photo) Firoza Praveen, a resident of Kundanpuri, said,' I applied for a new meter connection at Aggar Nagar division in April. Even after making a payment of a whopping ₹25,017, I am making rounds of the department to get my work done.' Similarly, Manish Sharma, resident of New Chander Nagar said, 'In March, I have applied for a load extension from 1 kilowatt to 7 kilowatt. I have also made a payment of ₹14,180. Despite these, it has been over five months, they have not felicitated the process. Every work, I need to take a leave from my office but the delays continue.' Gurpreet Mehdoodan, divisional president of the Punjab State Electricity Board Employees Federation, said, 'Significant delays in electricity-related tasks are persistent across Ludhiana city, with residents typically facing waits of around four months. After submitting an application, the department takes time to release a serial number due to glitches in the online portal, which further adds to the delay.' Mehdoodan added that the surge in applications following the government's waiver of NOC requirements for small plot holders, combined with staff shortages, has further compounded the problem. 'From December to March, routine applications increased by over 60%, but the department lacked enough staff to cater to these applications request ,' he said. At present, the department is relying on its outsourced workers to install electricity meters who are already grappled with fault repairs and maintenance duties. As a result, it gets difficult to managed these installations, he added. Additionally, senior officials pointed to the rise in double or triple meters in single households following the state government's free 600 unit scheme as another factor contributing to delays. With the growing use of cooling appliances, many consumers are now requesting load extensions from 1 KW to 3 KW, adding to the department's workload, they added. When contacted, chief engineer Jagdev Hans assured that efforts are underway to clear the backlog. 'We are working to process applications as quickly as possible. The delays largely stem from illegal meter scam unearthed in Aggar Nagar division, prompting JEs who look after these tasks to go on strike. Now, the process is back on track,' he said.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Air India ordered to repay retd doctor after Covid flight dispute
Sangrur: A consumer court here has directed Air India to refund more than ₹1 lakh to a retired doctor after the airline refused to reschedule or reimburse tickets when he tested positive for Covid-19 before a return flight from the US. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The district consumer disputes redressal commission in Sangrur held Air India and its managing director liable for "deficiency in service and unfair trade practices" after the airline rejected multiple requests for rescheduling in Jan 2022 and instead demanded an additional ₹15,500. Dr Surinder Singla, then 62, and his wife, Neena, had paid more than ₹1.5 lakh for round-trip tickets from Delhi to San Francisco. With Singla forced to cancel his return flight after testing positive, the couple ultimately spent an another more than ₹1 lakh on fresh tickets. In its ruling, the commission ordered Air India to refund more than ₹1 lakh with 7% annual interest from Oct 2022, and to pay ₹10,000 each in compensation for mental agony and litigation costs. The court gave the airline 60 days to comply or face penalties. The panel, led by president Jot Naranjan Singh Gill, cited a 2020 Supreme Court judgment requiring airlines to refund passengers whose flights were disrupted by the pandemic. MakeMyTrip, through which the tickets were booked, was cleared of responsibility as only a facilitator. The order was passed ex parte after Air India failed to appear during hearings. Advocate Yogesh Gupta, representing the Singlas, called the decision "a victory for passengers unfairly burdened by rigid airline policies". Air India has until Sept 26 to comply with the order.
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Economic Times
India, China agree to resume direct flights between the two nations
India and China have agreed to resume direct flight connections between Chinese mainland and India at the earliest, the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement on two countries had a standoff that began in 2020 and had strained bilateral ties, which impacted air travel between the countries. "Both sides agreed to resume direct flight connectivity between Chinese mainland and India at the earliest, and finalize an updated Air Services Agreement. They also agreed on the facilitation of visas to tourists, businesses, media and other visitors in both directions," said the official statement of MEA. Direct flights between India and China stopped during the pandemic, forcing travelers to take indirect routes via hubs like Hong Kong or Singapore. The reopening of air routes comes amid shifting geopolitical between India and China worsened in 2020 following border clashes that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin from August 31, where he will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Indian aviation authorities and major airlines such as Air India and IndiGo have been informed but have not commented publicly. Before flights were halted, Indian carriers including Air India and IndiGo operated routes to China alongside Chinese airlines like Air China and China Southern. The current plan is for Indian airlines to resume services soon. Earlier attempts to restart direct flights were made in January and June but stalled amid diplomatic tensions. Renewed progress has been made only in the last two weeks, with airlines now being briefed on the plans.
