DGCA Imposes Penalty on Air India Over Non-Qualified Pilots Controversy

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs 90 lakh on Tata Group-owned Air India for operating a flight with non-qualified pilots. Additional fines were levied on Air India's Director of Operations and Director of Training. The incident prompted an investigation revealing various regulatory violations.

Tata Group-owned Air India faces a Rs 90 lakh penalty from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operating a flight with non-qualified pilots. The DGCA also took action against Air India's Director of Training, suspending him for six months, alongside penalties for other top officials.

The DGCA revealed that the flight in question was commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer, a scheduling oversight deemed a significant safety issue. Fines of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh were also imposed on Air India's Director of Operations, Pankul Mathur, and Director of Training, Manish Vasavada, respectively.

Following a voluntary report by the airline and subsequent regulator investigation, multiple regulatory violations were identified. Show cause notices were issued, but the responses from those involved failed to provide satisfactory explanations, leading to enforcement action. This isn't the first time Air India has faced regulatory action from the DGCA.

(With inputs from agencies.)