Air India pilot oversight: Airline warned as three senior officials removed over safety violations

The airline, now owned by the Tata Group, was found to have breached rest, licensing, and recency requirements, following a post-transition audit of its crew scheduling system by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA).

In an order dated June 20, the DGCA directed Air India to remove a divisional vice-president, a chief manager of crew scheduling, and a planning executive “of all responsibilities related to rostering,” and to immediately initiate disciplinary action against them. Air India must also transfer them to non-operational roles “until corrective reforms in scheduling practices are completed, and to ensure that they do not hold any position with direct influence over flight safety or crew compliance” .

This regulatory action comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India following a catastrophic crash on 12 June. A London-bound flight from Ahmedabad went down shortly after take-off, killing all 241 onboard and at least 29 on the ground.

The DGCA said in a statement: “Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible” . Two specific violations cited occurred on back-to-back flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17, during which pilots exceeded the 10-hour maximum duty limit .

Air India confirmed compliance with the DGCA directive, saying: “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” .

In response to the crash and ongoing safety concerns, Air India has implemented temporary reductions in its international schedule, suspending flights to three overseas destinations and cutting services on 16 routes between June 21 and July 15. Wide‑body operations will also be reduced by 15% during this time .

Since its 2022 takeover by Tata Sons, Air India has undergone major investments—placing over $70 billion in aircraft orders, launching a new livery, merging Tata airline ventures, and modernising its fleet and digital systems .