Air India fined Rs 99 lakhs for operating flight with unqualified crew

Air India Limited has been slapped with a Rs 99 lakh fine by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operating a flight with crew members who were not properly qualified.

The incident involved a non-trainer line captain paired with a first officer who had not yet been fully released for line duties, an oversight that the regulator deemed a serious scheduling lapse with significant safety implications.

In addition to the hefty fine on the airline, the DGCA also imposed penalties of Rs 6 lakh on Air India's Director of Operations and Rs 3 lakh on the Director of Training. The pilot involved in the incident has been issued a warning to ensure that such mistakes are avoided in the future.

The issue came to light after Air India voluntarily reported the incident to the DGCA on July 10, 2024. Following the report, the regulator conducted a thorough investigation into Air India's operations, which included a detailed review of relevant documentation and a spot check of the airline's scheduling facility.

The investigation uncovered multiple violations of regulatory provisions by various post holders and staff members within the airline, all of which could potentially compromise flight safety. The commander of the flight, along with DGCA-approved post holders at Air India, were given the chance to explain their actions through show cause notices issued on July 22, 2024.

However, their responses were found unsatisfactory, leading the DGCA to take enforcement action as per the existing rules and regulations.