DGCA orders removal of Air India officials over safety violations

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a stern directive to Air India, instructing the airline to remove three senior officials from crew scheduling responsibilities due to multiple violations of aviation safety protocols. The move follows an investigation that uncovered serious lapses in operational compliance.

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The officials named in the directive are Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager of DOPS, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, responsible for Crew Scheduling – Planning. According to the DGCA's order dated June 20, these individuals were found responsible for recurring non-compliance in critical areas such as unauthorised crew pairings, breach of crew rest regulations, and violations of licensing norms. The aviation regulator also flagged systemic shortcomings in oversight and internal monitoring.

As a corrective measure, the DGCA has instructed Air India to reassign these officials to non-operational roles immediately. They are to be barred from any responsibilities that directly impact flight safety or crew compliance until significant reforms are implemented in the airline’s scheduling systems.

Additionally, Air India has been ordered to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officials in question and submit a detailed report on the outcomes within ten days. The directive underscores the DGCA’s growing focus on operational accountability and adherence to safety norms within the aviation sector.