DGCA Slams Air India Over Lax Disciplinary Action Against Key Officials Amid Crew Scheduling Failures

New Delhi – The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has strongly criticized Air India for failing to take strict disciplinary action against senior officials found responsible for repeated and serious violations in crew scheduling protocols.

In a recent order, the aviation regulator directed Air India to remove three senior officials—Choorah Singh (Divisional Vice President), Pinky Mittal (Chief Manager - DOPS, Crew Scheduling), and Payal Arora (Crew Scheduling – Planning)—from all responsibilities related to crew management due to their direct involvement in ongoing non-compliance issues.

The DGCA’s investigation revealed serious lapses, including unauthorized and non-compliant crew pairings, violations of mandatory licensing and rest requirements, and broader systemic failures in scheduling oversight and accountability.

“These violations were voluntarily disclosed by Air India during the post-transition review from ARMS to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System,” the order noted. However, it emphasized that these disclosures highlight systemic issues and an alarming lack of disciplinary action against those responsible.

The DGCA order states:

“Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses.”

Air India has now been instructed to immediately remove the named officials from crew scheduling roles and to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings. The airline must report the outcomes of these proceedings to the DGCA within 10 days of the notice.

Additionally, the officials are to be reassigned to non-operational roles and barred from holding any positions that impact flight safety or crew compliance until further notice.

The DGCA has warned that any future violations related to crew scheduling, licensing, or flight time limitations discovered in audits or inspections will result in strict enforcement actions, including penalties, license suspensions, or withdrawal of operator permissions.

This reprimand comes as Air India faces intensified scrutiny in the wake of the AI 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, which resulted in the deaths of at least 270 people, including passengers and crew. Adding to the controversy, the Aviation Industry Employees’ Guild (AIEG) has called for a CBI investigation into the dismissal of two cabin crew members who were allegedly sacked for reporting a technical fault in the aircraft last year.

With inputs from IANS