The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a stern warning to Air India for wrongly misusing a special relaxation in pilot duty time rules. This exemption was granted in April 2025 after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines on April 24. It allowed Air India to extend pilot flying hours so that West-bound flights affected by the closure could continue operating. However, the airline reportedly applied this exemption to flights that were not affected by the airspace closure, a report by The Times of India said.
Why is Air India Under Scrutiny?
Air India misused the exemption as a reason to keep the pilots flying for a longer period of time and cut the number of cockpit crew from 3 to 2 on its two separate flights covering Bengaluru–London route. Both these flights did not pass through Pakistan’s airspace. The DGCA took serious note of the situation with a senior official calling it “oversmartness”, the TOI report said. The special relaxation on pilot duty hours ended the same day that flight AI-171 crashed.
Show-Cause Notice and Warning to Air India CEO
Nine days after the Ahmedabad crash, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to Air India for the May 16 and 17 Bengaluru–London flights. The regulator later said that the airline’s explanation for the violation was unsatisfactory and failed to address the lapses. It also held Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson responsible for ensuring compliance.
In a formal warning, the DGCA advised Wilson to take greater care in following civil aviation rules and to ensure strict adherence in the future.
Air India’s response
Air India responded by saying that the issue arose from a different understanding of the exemption granted to deal with the airspace closure. The airline claimed it corrected the rostering immediately after receiving clarification and remains fully compliant with the rules.