Latest news with #IOCC
Mint
6 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
DGCA orders Air India to sack 3 employees for violating rules on flight crew schedules
Mumbai: Air India has come under scrutiny from India's civil aviation regulator for violations it voluntarily disclosed concerning flight crew being scheduled and deployed despite lapses in licensing, rest and recency requirements, and for breaching Civil Aviation Requirement Section 7. CAR Section 7 outlines the requirements for personnel involved in flight operations, including pilots, instructors, and examiners. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation ((DGCA) ordered the airline to let go of three employees from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering. It also sent Air India a show-cause notice, asking it to show why it should not face action under the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for the violations mentioned. Mint has seen a copy of both the documents, which were confirmed by a DGCA official who did not want to be named. An Air India spokesperson said, 'We acknowledge the regulator's directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, the company's chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the integrated operations control centre (IOCC). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,' The regulator has directed the airline to remove Choorah Singh, divisional vice president, Pinky Mittal, chief manager - DOPS crew scheduling, Payal Arora, crew scheduling-planning, and asked for an internal disciplinary proceedings to be initiated against these officials without delay. It said the outcome must be reported to it within 10 days. The DGCA's show-cause notice relates a violation of Para 6.1.3 of Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 7, in which the accountable manager of Air India operated two flights from Bangalore to London on 17 and 18 May, both of which exceeded the stipulated flight time of 10 hours. As per, Para 6.1.3 of CAR Section 7, a crew is limited to 10 hours of flying and 13 hours of duty if the flight crosses into night hours beyond their time zone. As per the show-cause notice, the accountable manager also failed to ensure adherence to the provisions and compliance requirements demanded under CAR. On 12 June, Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed seconds after take-off, resulting in the death of more than 240 people. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's probe into the cause of the accident is ongoing.
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
3 Air India Officials Removed, Aviation Body Threatens To Withdraw Licence
New Delhi: Civil aviation regulator DGCA has ordered the immediate removal of three senior Air India officials, including a divisional vice president, from all responsibilities related to flight crew scheduling and rostering. The directive is among the sternest interventions in recent months involving a full-service scheduled airline. The DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned carrier to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against the three unnamed officials without further delay. Failure to do so would result in severe action, including the possibility of the airline losing its operating permission. The DGCA's action stems from its audit of Air India's Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC), which oversees crew deployment across the airline's domestic and international network. According to the show cause notice issued by the regulator, two flights operated by Air India - AI133 from Bengaluru to London Heathrow on May 16 and May 17 - exceeded the maximum flight duty time limitation of 10 hours. The operation of these flights violated Para 6.1.3 of the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 7, Series J, Part III, Issue III, dated 24 April 2019, according to the show cause notice. The flights in question were not emergency or exceptional operations. The DGCA contends they were regular long-haul services. The DGCA issued a show cause notice to Air India's Accountable Manager, typically a high-ranking official. The notice demands an explanation within seven days from the date of receipt, asking why enforcement action should not be initiated under relevant provisions. "Failure to submit your reply within the stipulated period shall result in the matter being decided ex parte based on the evidence available on record," the regulator warned. Responding to the directive, Air India acknowledged the seriousness of the observations made by the DGCA. "We acknowledge the regulator's directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices," Air India said in a statement. The IOCC is a key component in any airline's structure, responsible for real-time crew management, flight dispatch, weather monitoring, and route planning. Missteps or regulatory non-compliance at this level can directly affect passenger safety and crew welfare. Understanding The Rules 1. As per DGCA norms, pilots operating in a cockpit must meet specific qualification criteria to be paired with each other. These criteria include factors such as the number of flying hours each pilot has logged, so that the combined total of experience in the cockpit meets a prescribed minimum threshold. 2. Both pilots must also be qualified for specific operational requirements, for example, low-visibility operations, 'Atlantic qualifications', or clearances for operating in high-altitude or critical airfields such as Leh or Ladakh. 3. Valid Licenses: It is mandatory for the airline to ensure that both pilots at the controls meet all licensing requirements. Their licenses must be current, and all mandated refresher courses and proficiency checks must be up to date. 4. Systemic Failures: There are indications of repeated violations of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. These include requirements to provide pilots with adequate rest before a flight and compliance with similar guidelines. Questions Being Raised 1. Why are these violations not flagged by the software systems? 2. Why are such issues not preempted or prevented before pilots operate flights? 3. This points to the possibility of manual overrides of automated systems. Is the rostering process being manipulated?
Hans India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
DGCA orders removal of three Air India officials over crew rostering lapses
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday, June 21, 2025, instructed Air India to remove three officials from all roles related to crew rostering, citing a 'systemic failure' in flight crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability. According to sources and a DGCA order reviewed by The Hindu, internal disciplinary proceedings have been mandated against the officials, including a top executive from the airline's Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC)—the nerve centre managing flight operations and crew assignments. The regulator uncovered 'multiple violations' involving the scheduling of crew members despite non-compliance with licensing, mandatory rest periods, and recency norms. These lapses came to light during a recent audit following Air India's switch to a new crew scheduling software in May 2024. One of the key figures named is the Divisional Vice President of IOCC. The department, which falls under the airline's Operations division, plays a critical role in ensuring that flights operate safely and in accordance with regulations. Air India has acknowledged the DGCA's directive and confirmed the implementation of the order. In the interim, the airline's Chief Operations Officer will assume direct oversight of the IOCC. 'Air India is committed to total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,' a spokesperson said. The DGCA has issued a stern warning, stating that any future crew scheduling violations could lead to severe penalties, including suspension of licenses and restrictions on operations. This enforcement action follows heightened regulatory scrutiny of Air India, particularly in the wake of last week's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash, which has intensified focus on operational compliance across the airline's systems.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Zomato's IOCC shift may spark FII outflow'
BENGALURU: Zomato's proposal to convert into an Indian-owned and controlled company (IOCC) may lead to a sharp slide in stock price as the move may result in its exclusion from MSCI indices. A large number of foreign fund managers benchmark their funds to MCSI indices. Exclusion from these indices could lead to selling of Eternal stock by those funds. Jefferies in its report said that from MSCI's perspective conversion to IOCC would lead to either reduction in weight or a complete exclusion. The broking house estimated that an exclusion from the indices could lead to outflow worth about $1.3 billion, while a cut in weight could lead to outflow worth $650 million. The next MSCI rebalancing is scheduled for the month of Aug. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Eternal shares could see $1.3 billion FII outflow, MSCI exclusion. Jefferies explains why
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel Shares of Eternal , which operates Zomato and Blinkit, could come under selling pressure once the company's board starts the process of conversion into Indian Owned & Controlled Company (IOCC). An overwhelming majority of 99% shareholder votes have been in favour of the proposal to impose a cap on foreign ownership, after which the stock can see outflow of $1.3 billion and even MSCI exclusion , according to Jefferies At the end of the March quarter, foreign ownership in Eternal stood at 44.8%. "Given the recent upward movement in the stock along with the volumes since the announcement of last shareholding, it may be possible that the FPI holding may have increased to around 46%, in our view," Vivek Maheshwari of Jefferies MSCI rules, if the FII holding is within 3% below themaximum permissible limit (in this case 46.5%), the stock comes under the red flag list."The exchanges/depositories would then release exact FPI holdings data every evening. If the FPI limit is breached, the foreign investor shall divest their excess holdings within five trading days from the date of settlement of trades, by selling shares only to domestic investors. For eg: if the FPI limit is breached on T day, exchange will notify on T+1 day and foreign buyers (shares bought on T day) would need to unwind their shares over and above the foreign limit (on pro rata basis) within 5 trading days," Jefferies said, explaining the global brokerage firm said conversion to IOCC would also lead to either reduction in weight or a complete exclusion from MSCI."In this case, based on MSCI's foreign ownership room calculation, Eternal could either face immediate exclusion from the MSCI index—triggering estimated outflows of approximately $1.3bn or there would be a reduction in index weight, leading to outflows of around $650mn during the Aug-25 rebalancing," Maheshwari case the foreign ownership limit is breached before implementation, then it would lead to a definitive exclusion from comments from Jefferies, Eternal shares were down around 4% to the day's low at Rs 228.35 on India's foreign direct investment rules, foreign-funded online marketplaces are not allowed to own inventory or control sellers on their platforms. Due to these restrictions, quick commerce platforms do not directly own the dark stores – micro-warehouses used for 10-minute deliveries – which are instead operated by separate had earlier said the IOCC status will enable Blinkit to improve its margins, particularly in fragmented or unbranded categories, as well as in the established fast-moving consumer goods segment, where owning inventory allows for better IOCC status would enable it to launch private labels across categories such as home décor, gourmet foods, toys, pooja items and seasonal merchandise. 'By offering working capital support directly to small brands and manufacturers, and/or using our balance sheet to own inventory, Blinkit can help drive growth across many such product categories,' it said.
