[caption id="attachment_15674" align="alignnone" width="826"] DGCA Fines Air India Nearly ₹1 Crore for Operating Flights with Unqualified Pilots[/caption] The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a substantial fine of ₹98 lakh on Air India, a Tata-owned airline, for operating flights with non-qualified crew members. The airline was found to have operated a flight with an unqualified line captain and a first officer who had not been officially cleared for their duties, according to the DGCA. The penalty followed a voluntary report by Air India, which led to a thorough investigation by the regulator. This scrutiny revealed several regulatory breaches within the airline's operations. Additionally, fines were also levied against the Director of Operations and the Director of Training at Air India, amounting to ₹6 lakh and ₹3 lakh respectively.

Reasons for the DGCA's Penalty

The DGCA explained that the investigation revealed significant deficiencies and multiple regulatory violations by various personnel, which could jeopardize safety. On July 22, 2024, the flight commander and other approved post holders at Air India were issued show cause notices. The responses provided were found inadequate, leading the DGCA to enforce penalties under current regulations. The DGCA stated, "The show cause notices issued to the concerned commander and approved post holders on 22.07.2024 did not receive satisfactory justifications. Consequently, enforcement action was taken as per the relevant rules and regulations, resulting in the imposed fines." Earlier this year, in March, Air India was fined ₹80 lakh for violating pilot rest period regulations. An audit conducted by the DGCA in January had focused on ensuring compliance with Flight Duty Time Limits (FDTL).