The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India Rs 98 lakh for operating flights with non-qualified crew members, according to an official statement released on August 23. Additionally, fines of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh were imposed on the airline's Director of Operations and Director of Training, respectively.
The DGCA stated that Air India operated a flight with a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer, which was deemed a serious scheduling incident with significant safety implications. The incident was reported to the DGCA by Air India on July 10 through a voluntary report. Following an investigation, the DGCA found multiple violations of regulatory provisions by various post holders and staff that could potentially impact safety.
"The concerned pilot has been warned to exercise caution to prevent such occurrences in future. M/s Air India Limited operated a flight commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer which has been viewed by the regulator as a serious scheduling incident having significant safety ramifications," the DGCA said in a statement.
The concerned pilot has been warned to exercise greater caution to avoid such incidents in the future. The DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to both the flight commander and Air India on July 22 but found their responses unsatisfactory.
This recent penalty follows a series of fines imposed on Air India by the DGCA. In March 2024, the airline was fined Rs 80 lakh for violating Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and fatigue management regulations. Over the past 18 months, Air India has been fined approximately Rs 5 crore for various safety and regulatory violations, including a Rs 1.10 crore fine for safety lapses on certain long-range routes and a Rs 10 lakh fine for failing to provide required facilities to passengers.
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