Air India has been fined Rs 99 lakh by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following a pilot rostering lapse that raised safety concerns. The penalty includes Rs 90 lakh for the airline, Rs 6 lakh for the Director of Operations, and Rs 3 lakh for the Director of Training.
The incident involved a Mumbai-Riyadh flight in July, where a training captain was replaced by a regular pilot due to illness. Regulations require trainee pilots to fly with training captains, not regular pilots. The error was discovered and reported by the flight crew, prompting the DGCA’s investigation.
The DGCA’s inquiry revealed multiple regulatory violations and deficiencies in Air India’s operations. Despite previous warnings, the airline failed to provide satisfactory explanations, leading to the substantial fines. The concerned pilot has been warned to prevent future lapses.
