Air India faces heat from DGCA over safety lapses, crew duty norm violations

India’s aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has pulled up Tata Group-owned Air India for “serious operational lapses”, ordering the removal of three key officials. It has also issued a show-cause notice for violating crew duty norms, as the airline remains under intense scrutiny in the wake of the deadly crash of flight AI-171.

In its order dated June 20, the DGCA said that Air India had voluntarily admitted to repeated violations involving flight crew being scheduled to fly despite issues related to licensing, mandatory rest and flying experience. These violations were found during a review of the airline’s shift from the older ARMS system to the new CAE crew management software. The regulator said these repeated lapses pointed to “systemic failures” and a lack of accountability within the airline’s scheduling team.

It flagged issues like unauthorised crew pairings and failure to act against those responsible. Air India has been warned that any future violations may lead to harsh penalties, including licence suspensions and flight restrictions.

The developments come in the aftermath of the June 12 crash of London-bound Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 passengers and crew members on board and nearly 29 people on the ground.

Adding to the troubles, the DGCA has also issued a separate show-cause notice to the airline for breaching “flight duty time limitations” (FDTL) during two long-haul flights between Bengaluru and London on May 16 and 17. Both flights reportedly exceeded the 10-hour duty limit allowed under aviation norms.

The DGCA said the airline’s accountable manager failed to ensure compliance with these regulations and asked Air India to explain within seven days, why action should not be taken against it.

An Air India spokesperson said they have acknowledged 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. Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,” said the spokesperson.

Sources said the DGCA has also asked flight operations inspectors to provide details of all inspections and audits conducted for Air India since 2024.