DGCA takes swift disciplinary action against senior Air India officials following repeated flight crew scheduling violations
by Utsav RoyThe Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation watchdog, has directed swift action against three senior Air India officials in response to “serious and repeated violations” concerning flight crew scheduling practices.
These infractions, which were voluntarily brought to light by the airline itself, showed that crew members were assigned to flights without adhering to essential regulatory requirements related to licensing, mandated rest periods, and operational recency. The discrepancies came to notice during a post-transition audit from the ARMS (Aviation Resource Management System), previously used for crew management, to the newly adopted CAE Flight and Crew Management System.
“The voluntary disclosures, while noted, point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability. Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses,” the order dated June 20.
The regulator has named three individuals as directly responsible for the lapses. Choorah Singh, serving as Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager in the Directorate of Operations for Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, involved in Crew Scheduling Planning.
This directive comes shortly after a tragic incident in which an Air India flight en route from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the death of all 241 people on board.
These officials have been found accountable for a series of serious and repeated violations, including pairing crew without proper authorization, failing to comply with mandatory licensing and recency requirements, and broader systemic shortcomings in scheduling procedures and oversight mechanisms.
In response, the DGCA has instructed Air India to relieve all three officials from their duties and responsibilities associated with crew scheduling and roster management.
“Internal disciplinary proceedings must be initiated against these officials without delay, and the outcome of such proceedings shall be reported to this office within 10 days from the date of issue of this letter,” the order stated.
The DGCA announced that these officials will be transferred to non-operational positions while reforms in scheduling procedures are underway. Until further notice, they will be barred from holding any roles that directly impact flight safety or crew regulatory compliance.
In reaction to the DGCA’s decision, the airline stated, “We acknowledge the regulator’s directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, the company’s Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC).