Air India Slapped with ₹90 Lakh Fine for Using Unqualified Pilots – Here’s What Happened

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India, owned by Tata, ₹90 lakh for flying a plane with unqualified crew members. On top of this, DGCA also fined Air India’s Director of Operations ₹6 lakh and Director of Training ₹3 lakh for the mistake.

The DGCA stated that the pilot involved has been warned to be more careful in the future to avoid similar incidents.

According to the DGCA, Air India operated a flight with a captain who wasn’t qualified as a trainer and a first officer who wasn’t officially released for the line, which they see as a serious safety issue.

The issue came to light after Air India voluntarily reported the incident on July 10. The aviation regulator then investigated the airline’s operations, checked documents, and conducted spot checks on their scheduling system.

The investigation revealed several safety violations and deficiencies in the airline’s operations, which could pose significant safety risks. The airline’s management and crew were given a chance to explain themselves through show cause notices issued on July 22.

However, the responses from the airline’s staff did not provide a satisfactory explanation. As a result, the DGCA decided to take strict action and imposed fines according to the rules.

This isn’t the first time Air India has faced penalties this year. In March, the DGCA fined the airline ₹80 lakh for breaking rules related to Flight Duty Time Limits (FDTL) and the fatigue management system (FMS) for flight crews.