India’s aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a show-cause notice to Tata Group-owned Air India over violations of flight duty time limitations (FDTL) for crew members, sources said on Saturday.
The alleged violations were detected during spot checks conducted by the DGCA on Air India’s Bengaluru-London flights (AI133) operated on May 16 and 17. According to the notice, the flights exceeded the stipulated flight time limit of 10 hours, in contravention of norms laid out under the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR Section 7, Series J Part III).
“During a spot check, it has been observed that the Accountable Manager of Air India operated two flights from Bangalore to London on May 16 and 17, both of which exceeded the stipulated flight time limit of 10 hours,” the DGCA noted.
The regulator also pointed out that the airline’s Accountable Manager failed to ensure adherence to the mandatory provisions regarding crew duty hours, highlighting a lapse in compliance with aviation safety standards.
In response to these findings, the DGCA has asked Air India to submit a written explanation within seven days, clarifying why regulatory action should not be initiated against the airline.
As of now, Air India has not issued an official comment on the matter.
The FDTL norms are designed to prevent fatigue among flight crew and ensure operational safety. Any breach of these norms is treated seriously by the aviation regulator.