India’s civil aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered Air India to remove three personnel from all duties related to the scheduling of crew and rostering. As per sources familiar with the matter, the directive was issued on June 20. The notice has been released against the divisional vice president and two other officials who were responsible for managing crew-related operations. The regulator has directed the Tata Group-owned airline to start an internal disciplinary investigation on all three officials on an immediate basis.
Officials removed for safety rules breach
The DGCA, in its probe, found out that some crew members were allowed to fly even though they did not meet the required rest periods, were not recently trained and also had licensing issues. These issues were flagged during Air India’s shift from its old crew management, ARMS, to a new one which is called CAE Flight and Crew Management System.
Air India has raised these issues with the DGCA voluntarily. However, the regulator pointed out that the situation shows bigger issues in the airlines’ system for verifying and adhering safety rules. It was also pointed out that the airline did not take strong action against the officials who were responsible for the lapse.
The DGCA observed that there were repeated cases of wrong crew pairings and a failure to follow norms related to the qualifications of the crew and rest. It has also warned Air India that if a similar breach is repeated, the airline could face a strict penalty like cancellation of licenses and other curbs.
Air India’s response to DGCA order
Air India stated that it has followed the directives of the DGCA. “For now, the Chief Operations Officer will take charge of the Integrated Operations Control Centre. We are fully committed to safety and following standard procedures,’’ the airline mentioned on Saturday.
These directives have come just days after a deadly crash involving an Air India flight. On June 12, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flying from Ahmedabad crashed shortly after taking off, killing nearly everyone onboard and 29 people on the ground.
The move comes amid growing concerns related to safety and compliance in rostering practices.
(With inputs from PTI)