New Delhi: India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has taken stern action against three senior Air India officials following the airline’s admission of serious and repeated violations in crew scheduling norms. The lapses include deploying flight crew who lacked valid licensing, rest periods, or required flight recency, raising major concerns over operational safety.
The violations came to light during a system transition from the Aviation Resource Management System (ARMS) to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System. Despite the airline voluntarily disclosing the shortcomings, the DGCA flagged what it described as systemic breakdowns in compliance, oversight, and internal accountability.
In an order dated June 20, the DGCA identified three senior officials as directly responsible: Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager in Crew Scheduling Operations; and Payal Arora from Crew Scheduling Planning. The order directed their immediate removal from all scheduling-related duties.
“These individuals have been found culpable of recurring non-compliance with mandatory crew pairing, licensing, and rest requirements,” the DGCA stated. “The absence of corrective discipline and ineffective monitoring mechanisms significantly compromised operational standards.”
The crackdown follows closely on the heels of a tragic Air India accident in which a flight from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport crashed shortly after takeoff, claiming 241 lives. While the cause of the crash is under investigation, the scheduling lapses have intensified scrutiny on Air India’s internal safety processes.
The regulator has mandated the initiation of formal disciplinary proceedings against the officials, with a deadline of ten days to submit a report on the outcomes. Pending further reforms in crew management practices, the three will be shifted to non-operational roles and barred from any responsibilities that could impact flight safety or regulatory compliance.
In a statement, Air India said it has complied with the DGCA’s directive. "The Chief Operations Officer will now directly oversee the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) to ensure adherence to all safety and regulatory protocols," an airline spokesperson said.
“Air India remains fully committed to upholding the highest standards of operational safety and regulatory compliance,” the airline added.
