Air India / DGCA takes big action against Air India, 3 officials suspended

Due to serious lapses in Air India, DGCA has ordered the removal of three senior officials from crew scheduling and rostering. These include a divisional vice president. DGCA has sought a report of the action taken in 10 days and has warned of strict action in future.

Air India: Aviation safety regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has taken a tough stand on the internal system of Air India. In its order issued on June 20, DGCA has directed the removal of three senior officials of Air India from all responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering. These officials include a divisional vice president, a chief manager, and a planning officer. This action has been taken for serious irregularities in the appointments of flight crew and violation of safety standards.

Why was the action taken?

DGCA's investigation revealed that Air India operated flights many times and repeatedly ignoring the rules of licensing, comfort and freshness (recency). This was revealed when the transition was reviewed after the change from ARMS (Aviation Resource Management System) to CAE Crew Management System. The review revealed that unauthorized and non-compliant crew were put on flights many times, and the required documents were not confirmed.

DGCA order

The DGCA ordered Air India to remove these three officials from crew scheduling with immediate effect and not appoint them in any role related to flight safety or regulatory compliance. The order also said that internal disciplinary inquiry should be initiated without delay and information about the action should be given to DGCA within 10 days.

Removed officials

Chura Singh – Divisional Vice President
Pinky Mittal – Chief Manager, Crew Scheduling, Operational Directorate
Payal Arora – Crew Scheduling Planning Department

These three officials were found guilty of serious cases like systemic failures, unauthorized pairing, and protocol violations.

Air India's response

Air India issued a statement on Saturday saying that the instructions of the DGCA have been accepted and the order has been implemented with immediate effect. The company also said that the Chief Operational Officer will now directly monitor the IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Center) so that such negligence does not happen again in future. The airline also reiterated that it is committed to following all safety protocols and standards.

DGCA's strict warning

The DGCA has made it clear that if such negligence is found again in the future, the regulator will not shy away from taking strict actions like license suspension, operational restrictions, and cancellation of operator permits.