DGCA pulls up Air India, removes three key officials over repeated violations

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed the immediate removal of three senior Air India officials, citing serious and repeated lapses in crew scheduling and compliance with flight safety norms. The order, issued on Thursday, 19 June, points to deeper systemic failures within the airline’s operational framework—particularly in crew rostering, regulatory oversight, and internal accountability.

The action follows voluntary disclosures by Air Indiathat revealed instances where flight crew were scheduled and operated despite not meeting mandatory licensing, rest, and recency requirements.

The DGCA also issued a separate show cause notice to the accountable manager of Air India, stating 'during a spot check, it has been observed that the said manager operated two flights from Bangalore to London (Al133) on 16 May 2025 and 17 May 2025, both of which exceeded the stipulated flight time limit of 10 hours.

It asked the concerned officer to respond within 7 days why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated for the violation.

These lapses were discovered during a post-transition review after the airline shifted from its earlier ARMS platform to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System. While the airline’s disclosures were acknowledged by the regulator, the DGCA noted that they were indicative of broader structural weaknesses rather than isolated errors.

The action comes at a time when the airline is underlarger scrutinyfollowing a 12 June 2025 Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash. The Air India Flight 171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick Airport, crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 241 people on board and at least 39 individuals on the ground in a residential area.

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Identifying the officials responsible, the DGCA named Choorah Singh, Divisional vice president; Pinky Mittal, chief manager– DOPS, crew scheduling; and Payal Arora, crew scheduling–planning.

These individuals were found to have played a direct role in unauthorised and non-compliant crew pairings, violations of licensing and recency norms, and persistent neglect of regulatory scheduling protocols.

In its order, the DGCA stated that the absence of disciplinary action against those responsible was a matter of particular concern and reflected a lack of internal checks and balances. As a result, the regulator has directed Air India to remove the three officials from all responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering with immediate effect.

Furthermore, the airline has been instructed to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against them and submit a report on the outcome within ten days.

Until corrective reforms are fully implemented, the officials are to be reassigned to non-operational roles and barred from holding any position that directly influences flight safety or regulatory compliance.

The DGCA also warned that any future violations uncovered in audits or inspections would attract strict enforcement action, including penalties, suspension of licences, or withdrawal of operational permissions.

The regulator’s intervention is being viewed as a significant step toward tightening oversight and improving accountability within airline operations. With India’s aviation sector expanding rapidly, the emphasis on regulatory compliance and internal discipline is expected to grow even stronger in the coming months.

 Air India responded by acknowledging the regulator's directive and implementing the order. In the interim, the Chief Operations Officer will provide oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC).

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