The Crossbill News Desk
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Air India to remove three senior officials from all responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering, citing "serious and repeated lapses" in the airline's management of flight crew operations.
The aviation regulator also issued a show cause notice to the airline for breaching flight duty limitations on two Bengaluru–London flights operated last month.
The DGCA’s directives, dated June 20, are not related to the recent crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, though they come amid heightened scrutiny of the airline following the tragedy.
In its order, the DGCA said Air India had voluntarily disclosed instances of significant violations involving flight crew scheduling, including non-compliance with licensing requirements, rest periods, and recent flying experience — also known as “recency requirements.”
The DGCA said that these disclosures “point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring and internal accountability.”
It criticised the airline for failing to take “strict disciplinary measures” against those responsible and identified three executives — a divisional vice president and two scheduling officials — as being directly accountable.
The regulator ordered their immediate removal from all roles related to crew scheduling and rostering, and called for an internal inquiry into their conduct. The findings of that inquiry must be submitted to the DGCA by the end of June.
The DGCA also warned of stricter enforcement in the future, stating that further violations of scheduling, licensing, or flight time regulations could lead to penalties, license suspension, or revocation of operational permissions.
Separately, the regulator issued a show cause notice to Air India for operating two flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17, during which the crew exceeded the ten-hour flight time limit prescribed under DGCA norms.
The airline has been given seven days to respond and justify why enforcement action should not be initiated. If it fails to reply within the stipulated period, the DGCA warned, the matter will be decided ex parte.
The ten-hour limit cited in the notice applies to flight crew duty time and is a part of broader regulations governing pilots' rest and duty hours. The “recency” requirement refers to the stipulation that pilots must have operated a particular type of aircraft within a specific timeframe to remain qualified.
Air India, in a public statement, acknowledged the DGCA’s directives and said it is complying with all instructions.
This is the second regulatory blow to the airline this week. Earlier, Reuters reported that Air India had flown three Airbus aircraft without conducting mandatory checks on their emergency escape slides, prompting further criticism from the DGCA over what it described as “weak procedural control and oversight.”
The aviation regulator also issued a show cause notice to the airline for breaching flight duty limitations on two Bengaluru–London flights operated last month.
The DGCA’s directives, dated June 20, are not related to the recent crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, though they come amid heightened scrutiny of the airline following the tragedy.
In its order, the DGCA said Air India had voluntarily disclosed instances of significant violations involving flight crew scheduling, including non-compliance with licensing requirements, rest periods, and recent flying experience — also known as “recency requirements.”
The DGCA said that these disclosures “point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring and internal accountability.”
It criticised the airline for failing to take “strict disciplinary measures” against those responsible and identified three executives — a divisional vice president and two scheduling officials — as being directly accountable.
The regulator ordered their immediate removal from all roles related to crew scheduling and rostering, and called for an internal inquiry into their conduct. The findings of that inquiry must be submitted to the DGCA by the end of June.
The DGCA also warned of stricter enforcement in the future, stating that further violations of scheduling, licensing, or flight time regulations could lead to penalties, license suspension, or revocation of operational permissions.
Separately, the regulator issued a show cause notice to Air India for operating two flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17, during which the crew exceeded the ten-hour flight time limit prescribed under DGCA norms.
The airline has been given seven days to respond and justify why enforcement action should not be initiated. If it fails to reply within the stipulated period, the DGCA warned, the matter will be decided ex parte.
The ten-hour limit cited in the notice applies to flight crew duty time and is a part of broader regulations governing pilots' rest and duty hours. The “recency” requirement refers to the stipulation that pilots must have operated a particular type of aircraft within a specific timeframe to remain qualified.
Air India, in a public statement, acknowledged the DGCA’s directives and said it is complying with all instructions.
This is the second regulatory blow to the airline this week. Earlier, Reuters reported that Air India had flown three Airbus aircraft without conducting mandatory checks on their emergency escape slides, prompting further criticism from the DGCA over what it described as “weak procedural control and oversight.”
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