The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs 90 lakh on Air India for operating a flight with pilots who were not properly qualified. The DGCA has also levied a penalty of Rs 6 lakh on Air India’s Director of Operations, Pankul Mathur, and Rs 3 lakh on Manish Vasavada, Director of Training due to negligence. The matter came into consideration on July 10, when a report was voluntarily submitted by the airline, advancing the DGCA to enquire into the operations.
Investigations reveal major lapses
The scrutinization by the watchdog disclosed multiple levels of flouting of rules and regulations. It was noticed that a non-trainer line captain was allotted to operate along with a non-line-released first officer on the flight. The incident was termed as severe scheduling oversight by the airline.
By considering the severity of the matter, the DGCA issued show-cause notices to the persons who were involved along with the flight’s commander on July 22. The statement which was made as defense was not considered up to the mark by the DGCA. A warning has been given to the pilots and has been ensured that such mishaps won’t be repeated in the future. The fines that have been levied on the key officials have been enforced as per existing norms.
(With PTI inputs)