DGCA Mandates Removal of Three Air India Rostering Chiefs
DGCA has directed Air India to strip three senior officials of all responsibilities in crew scheduling and rostering, citing repeated and serious violations of licensing, rest periods, and flight‑duty time norms, according to its order dated 20 June. The order targets a divisional vice‑president and two crew‑scheduling managers, requiring disciplinary proceedings and immediate reassignment to non‑operational roles until reforms are enacted.
Air India must report the outcomes of disciplinary measures within ten days, while the DGCA warns that further breaches could result in financial penalties, licence suspensions, or even revocation of operating permissions. The directive followed a post‑transition audit after the airline migrated from ARMS to the CAE flight‑and‑crew management platform, which uncovered unauthorised crew pairings and scheduling beyond permissible duty hours.
Officials identified include Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice‑President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager, DOPS – Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Planning – Crew Scheduling. The DGCA noted that these individuals were directly responsible for the failures in licensing compliance, rest‑period requirements and recency norms—a critical safety concern.
ADVERTISEMENT
Two long‑haul Bangalore–London flights on 16 and 17 May exceeded the 10‑hour flight‑duty time limit under a special dispensation, prompting a separate show‑cause notice to the airline's accountable manager.
This regulatory action follows last week's Boeing 787 crash shortly after take‑off from Ahmedabad, which claimed 270 lives. Though the crew‑rostering order is not directly linked to the crash, it adds to the broader investigation and safety scrutiny surrounding Air India operations.
The DGCA's move underscores systemic lapses in Air India's crew‑management framework. The regulator expressed 'serious and repeated' concerns, despite self‑disclosure by the airline, highlighting deficiencies in internal oversight and compliance controls. Air India has been instructed to implement corrective reforms to align with Civil Aviation Requirements, specifically those governing flight‑duty time‑limitations intended to mitigate fatigue.
These revisions are timely: new pilot duty‑and‑rest hour regulations will take effect from 1 July, increasing minimum weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours and capping night‑operation landings at two. The DGCA's enforcement thus dovetails with wider efforts to bolster systemic safety in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad tragedy.
Regulatory experts observe that such administrative and disciplinary responses are not anomalies. In May, the DGCA issued warnings regarding overdue maintenance checks on three Airbus aircraft, including emergency‑equipment inspections. Earlier in the year, Air India received fines totalling ₹30 lakh for pilot recency violations.
Commenting on the broader safety landscape, former regulators note that consistent oversight is crucial in preventing fatigue‑related lapses and mechanical oversights. A sustained regulatory push is under way to restore confidence in Air India's operational reliability.
Air India has yet to publicly respond to the DGCA directive. In previous instances, the airline has emphasised cooperation and accelerated internal reforms. As it enters the 10‑day deadline, the aviation community will closely monitor how the airline reshapes its rostering protocols and whether these measures signal a lasting shift in safety governance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
4 hours ago
- Al Etihad
India's aviation regulator orders Air India to remove officials
21 June 2025 15:23 NEW DELHI (AFP)New Delhi's civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to remove three officials from their roles over "systemic failures", according to a directive seen by AFP Saturday, as the carrier comes under scrutiny after a deadly instruction from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) did not detail whether it was linked to the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board. At least 38 others on the ground were DGCA directive noted that the airline's voluntary disclosures "point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability"."Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses," said the order, which was issued on Friday."These officials have been involved in serious and repeated lapses," it regulator has directed Air India to remove three officials named in the order "from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling", take disciplinary action, and report on steps taken within 10 airline said on Saturday it had implemented the order."Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices," it said in a are attempting to find out what caused the airline's London-bound plane to hurtle to the ground moments after takeoff in India said on Thursday that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was "well-maintained" and that the pilots were accomplished cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder have been recovered from the crash site.
Arabian Post
5 hours ago
- Arabian Post
DGCA Mandates Removal of Three Air India Rostering Chiefs
DGCA has directed Air India to strip three senior officials of all responsibilities in crew scheduling and rostering, citing repeated and serious violations of licensing, rest periods, and flight‑duty time norms, according to its order dated 20 June. The order targets a divisional vice‑president and two crew‑scheduling managers, requiring disciplinary proceedings and immediate reassignment to non‑operational roles until reforms are enacted. Air India must report the outcomes of disciplinary measures within ten days, while the DGCA warns that further breaches could result in financial penalties, licence suspensions, or even revocation of operating permissions. The directive followed a post‑transition audit after the airline migrated from ARMS to the CAE flight‑and‑crew management platform, which uncovered unauthorised crew pairings and scheduling beyond permissible duty hours. Officials identified include Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice‑President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager, DOPS – Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Planning – Crew Scheduling. The DGCA noted that these individuals were directly responsible for the failures in licensing compliance, rest‑period requirements and recency norms—a critical safety concern. ADVERTISEMENT Two long‑haul Bangalore–London flights on 16 and 17 May exceeded the 10‑hour flight‑duty time limit under a special dispensation, prompting a separate show‑cause notice to the airline's accountable manager. This regulatory action follows last week's Boeing 787 crash shortly after take‑off from Ahmedabad, which claimed 270 lives. Though the crew‑rostering order is not directly linked to the crash, it adds to the broader investigation and safety scrutiny surrounding Air India operations. The DGCA's move underscores systemic lapses in Air India's crew‑management framework. The regulator expressed 'serious and repeated' concerns, despite self‑disclosure by the airline, highlighting deficiencies in internal oversight and compliance controls. Air India has been instructed to implement corrective reforms to align with Civil Aviation Requirements, specifically those governing flight‑duty time‑limitations intended to mitigate fatigue. These revisions are timely: new pilot duty‑and‑rest hour regulations will take effect from 1 July, increasing minimum weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours and capping night‑operation landings at two. The DGCA's enforcement thus dovetails with wider efforts to bolster systemic safety in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad tragedy. Regulatory experts observe that such administrative and disciplinary responses are not anomalies. In May, the DGCA issued warnings regarding overdue maintenance checks on three Airbus aircraft, including emergency‑equipment inspections. Earlier in the year, Air India received fines totalling ₹30 lakh for pilot recency violations. Commenting on the broader safety landscape, former regulators note that consistent oversight is crucial in preventing fatigue‑related lapses and mechanical oversights. A sustained regulatory push is under way to restore confidence in Air India's operational reliability. Air India has yet to publicly respond to the DGCA directive. In previous instances, the airline has emphasised cooperation and accelerated internal reforms. As it enters the 10‑day deadline, the aviation community will closely monitor how the airline reshapes its rostering protocols and whether these measures signal a lasting shift in safety governance.
Arabian Post
10 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Gulf Airspace Shockwaves Prompt More Re-routings
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Major U.S. and European carriers have halted flights to key Gulf destinations amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, while international regulators warn of heightened risk as far-flung air routes face rerouting challenges. American Airlines has paused its Philadelphia–Doha service until at least 22 June, citing growing security concerns, with a spokesperson affirming the decision would be reviewed 'as needed'. United Airlines has similarly suspended Newark–Dubai flights, stating the route would resume once safety conditions permit. ADVERTISEMENT European airlines, including Air France‑KLM, Lufthansa and Wizz Air, are enduring significant disruptions due to enforced airspace closures over Israel, Iraq and Jordan. These closures funnel more than 150 carriers through narrow corridors over Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, inflating flight durations and fuel consumption amid existing pressures from prior restrictions over Russian airspace. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration have flagged elevated risks across the broader region. Coverage spans Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria and adjacent zones, citing threats from advanced air‑defence systems, missile misidentification and accidental interceptions. Global traffic analysis reveals more than 3,000 flight cancellations daily in the Middle East since mid‑June. Airlines are rerouting flights to Europe and Asia via longer paths over Central Asia and the Mediterranean, adding hours to journeys and intensifying operational strain on air traffic control. Air India, coping with the fallout of a Boeing 787‑8 crash in India on 12 June which killed 241 passengers, has cut its international schedule by 15 per cent. The airline cited Middle East airspace closures among the factors prompting cancellation of 83 flights, with the reduced timetable expected until mid‑July. The conflict's origins trace back to Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Arak heavy water reactor, with Iranian missile attacks wounding more than 240 people in southern Israel and critical infrastructure hit in Tel Aviv. Iran followed with a barrage of over 400 ballistic missiles and drones, affecting hospitals and civilian areas. Western intelligence indicates U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing participation in a military campaign against Iran, with a decision expected within two weeks. The prospect of U.S. involvement has intensified caution among airlines and aviation regulators worldwide. On the financial front, Brent crude has surged approximately 8 per cent to around $70.8 a barrel, intensifying the cost implications of rerouted flights and further pressuring carriers already grappling with fuel expenditures. European airline stocks have reacted sharply, with major flags posting declines as markets factor in ongoing disruptions. Passengers are eligible for full refunds if itineraries include flights through restricted airspace. Those traversing high-risk, open but uncertain zones may face varied refund policies depending on airline terms. Travel demand is also shifting, with travellers opting out of flights through Dubai or Doha to avoid uncertainty—further dampening booking volumes at major Gulf hubs. Industry experts caution that any broadening of the conflict—especially with U.S. military action—could force additional closures, strain remaining corridors and degrade regional air connectivity. Past incidents have shown that misidentification of civilian aircraft and missile overreach are genuine risks. Amid this volatility, airlines are racing to recalibrate operations, adjust crew rotations and manage passenger impacts.
