DGCA Fines Air India ₹90 Lakh for Flight Operation with Unqualified Crew

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has levied a Rs 90 lakh fine on Air India for deploying non-qualified crew members on a flight.

Additionally, the airline’s Director of Operations and Director of Training have been fined Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively for their roles in the lapse.

According to a statement from the DGCA, the incident involved a flight where a non-trainer captain was paired with a first officer who hadn’t been line-released. The regulator classified this as a severe scheduling error with significant safety implications.

The issue came to light through a voluntary report submitted by Air India on July 10, prompting a thorough investigation by the DGCA. The investigation revealed multiple violations and deficiencies in regulatory compliance by several key personnel, posing potential safety risks.

Following show-cause notices issued on July 22, the explanations provided by the airline’s personnel were deemed unsatisfactory, leading to the imposition of the penalties.

The DGCA has also warned the pilot involved to exercise greater caution to avoid such incidents in the future.