DGCA warns Air India over repeated lapses in crew rostering, orders removal of 3 officials from related roles

Air India said it has implemented the DGCA order.

Separately, the DGCA has also issued a show cause notice to Air India over two Bengaluru-London flights that exceeded the stipulated flight time limit of 10 hours, asking the airline to respond within seven days on why action should not be initiated against it for the violation, it is learnt.

The violations pertaining to Air India Bengaluru-London flights – AI 13 on May 16 and 17 – were observed during a spot check, sources indicated. Longer-than-stipulated flight time indicates that the pilots are likely to have exceeded their flight duty time limitation (FDTL) on these flights.

The DGCA order and show cause notice to Air India comes at a time when the airline is grappling with the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad on June 12.

The DGCA order does not appear to be linked to the deadly crash which has placed the airline’s safety record and related violations under the lens.

The violations pertaining to flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recovery requirements are learnt to have been voluntarily reported by Air India. These were discovered during a post-transition review after the airline shifted to a new crew management system last year.

The DGCA noted that the three officials have been involved in repeated lapses, including unauthorised and non-compliant crew pairings, violation of mandatory licensing and recency norms, and systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversight, it is learnt.

“The voluntary disclosures, while noted, point to systematic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability. Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses,” the DGCA stated in an order dated June 20, it is learnt.

According to sources, the airline was directed to remove the three officials – Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager – DOPS, Crew Scheduling; Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling – Planning – from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering, and initiate internal disciplinary proceedings “without delay” and report to the DGCA the outcome of the proceedings within 10 days.

The airline has been asked to reassign the three officials to non-operational roles pending conclusion of “corrective reforms in scheduling practices” and ensure that they do not hold any position involving direct influence over flight safety and crew compliance till further notice.

An Air India spokesperson, without going into specifics, said, “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.”

The airline has so far not commented on the show cause notice pertaining to the two Bengaluru-London flights exceeding the stipulated flight duration.