The DGCA also warned Air India that future violations in crew scheduling will invite “strict action”, including licence suspension and operational restrictions.
New Delhi: Aviation safety watchdog DGCA has ordered Tata Group-owned Air India to remove its three officials, including a divisional vice president, from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering over serious lapses.
In its order of June 20, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also directed the airline to initiate proceedings against these three officials without delay.
DGCA has also asked flight operations inspectors to provide details of all inspections and audits conducted for Air India since 2024, sources said on Saturday.
The details on the findings of the inspections and audits will have to be submitted by Sunday, they said.
The DGCA also warned Air India that future violations in crew scheduling will invite “strict action”, including license suspension and operational restrictions.
The latest direction from DGCA has come at a time when the airline has been under strict scrutiny in the aftermath of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash last week.
A London-bound Air India flight, AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with nearly 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex shortly after take-off.
Air India in a statement said it has acknowledged the regulator’s directive and 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 airline said in its statement on Saturday.
The DGCA order said: “Repeated and serious violations voluntarily disclosed by Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements.
“These violations were discovered during the post-transition review from ARMS to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System.” ARMS (Air Route Management System) is the software platform used by the airline for various operational and management tasks, including crew rostering and flight planning, among others.
The voluntary disclosures, “while noted, point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability,” the DGCA order said and flagged that “particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses”.
The regulator noted that these officials have been involved in “serious and repeated lapses including “unauthorised and non-compliant crew pairings, violation of mandatory licensing and recency norms and systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversight”.
Meanwhile, Air India on Saturday said it has started releasing the interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and survivors of the June 12 plane crash.
“The interim compensation began being released from 20 June, with three families having received payments so far, and the remaining claims being processed,” Air India said.
The airline had on June 14 announced that it would provide an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh or approximately GBP 21,500 to the families of each of the victims and survivors of the airline’s Boeing 787-8 plane crash in Ahmedabad to help address immediate financial needs.
This is in addition to the compensation of Rs 1 crore announced by the parent company, Tata Sons.
Air India said a centralised helpdesk, active since June 15, has been assisting families in processing claims for the interim compensation.
This single-window system ensures faster documentation and helps initiate compensation procedures promptly, it stated.
Air India said it has also been reaching out to those who were injured and the families of those who lost their lives on the ground to initiate the compensation process for them.
The families are also being assisted, including during DNA identification, the airline said, adding that when the bodies are released by the hospital, at least one caregiver accompanies each family to facilitate the transportation as well as funerals, while ensuring the dignity and utmost respect for the victims and their loved ones.
Families are also being provided other comprehensive financial assistance during this difficult time, covering travel, accommodation, medical and funeral expenses, with additional needs addressed promptly, Air India added.