DELHI- Indian Aviation Watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a 90 lakh INR fine on Air India (AI) for operating a flight with an unqualified crew on July 9 from Mumbai (BOM) to Riyadh (RUH).
The incident came to light after Air India submitted a voluntary report revealing a junior pilot not yet cleared for flying duties was assigned to a flight with a non-trainer captain.
Air India Fined 99 Lakh
The DGCA labeled the incident a “serious scheduling incident” with significant safety implications, citing Air India’s rostering lapse. Additionally, the airline’s Director of Operations and Director of Flight Safety face fines of ₹6 lakh and ₹3 lakh respectively.
Regulations stipulate that junior pilots not yet released for flying can only operate with a Line Training Captain, Type Rating Instructor, or Designated Examiner. In this case, a non-training captain replaced an ill-trained captain, violating safety protocols.
The crew discovered the scheduling error mid-flight and filed a voluntary report upon landing in Riyadh. The DGCA’s investigation uncovered multiple regulatory violations by various Air India staff and post holders, potentially compromising safety.
DGCA has suspended Manish Vasavada, Director of Training at Air India for six months.
Previous Fines
Air India has incurred multiple fines from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for various regulatory violations over the past two years. The airline’s infractions range from passenger comfort issues to serious safety breaches.
In May, the DGCA criticized Air India for recurring passenger comfort failures, including inadequate cabin cooling and significant flight delays. March saw an Rs 80 lakh fine imposed for violating pilot rest period regulations, following a January audit revealing non-compliance with Flight Duty Time Limit rules.
February brought a Rs 30 lakh penalty after an aged passenger’s fatal heart attack, attributed to the airline’s failure to provide a requested wheelchair.
Another Rs 30 lakh fine in January resulted from insufficiently trained pilots for low-visibility landings, causing widespread flight disruptions during dense fog.
The DGCA suspended two Air India pilots in June 2023 for allowing unauthorized cockpit access on a Chandigarh-Leh flight. A similar incident on a Delhi-Dubai flight in February 2023 led to additional pilot suspensions.
Earlier penalties include a Rs 30 lakh fine in January 2023 for mishandling a passenger misconduct incident and a Rs 10 lakh fine in June 2022 for failing to compensate denied boarding passengers.
What are your thoughts on such a serious violation by a Tata-owned carrier? Let us know in the comments.
Feature Image: Utkarsh Thakkar (@vimanspotter)
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