Air India fined ₹90 lakh for flying with unqualified crew
What's the story
Air India, the national flag carrier, has been penalized ₹90 lakh by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operating a flight with an unqualified crew. The DGCA also imposed fines of ₹6 lakh and ₹3 lakh on Air India's Director of Operations and Director of Training respectively. The pilot involved in this incident has been issued a warning to prevent such situations in the future.
Safety concern
DGCA views incident as serious safety breach
The DGCA described the incident as a "serious scheduling incident having significant safety ramifications." The regulator's statement read, "Air India Ltd operated a flight commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer." According to reports, the incident came to light through a voluntary report submitted by Air India on July 10, following which the DGCA initiated an investigation into the carrier's operations.
Regulatory breaches
DGCA's investigation reveals multiple regulatory violations
The DGCA's investigation involved examining documentation and conducting a spot check of the scheduling facility. The probe revealed "deficiencies and multiple violations of the regulatory provisions by several post holders and staff, which could significantly affect safety." On July 22, show-cause notices were issued to the flight's commander and other responsible individuals at Air India, seeking an explanation for their actions.
Inadequate justification
Air India's response deemed unsatisfactory by DGCA
The responses provided by the concerned parties at Air India were deemed unsatisfactory by the DGCA, leading to enforcement action and imposition of penalties, reports said. Notably, the incident involved a trainee pilot scheduled to operate a Mumbai-Riyadh flight on July 9 with a training captain. However, due to the training captain's illness, he was replaced by a normal line captain, leading to an oversight in crew management.