The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a strong warning to Air India, stating that it may suspend or even withdraw the airline’s operating license following what it described as “repeated and serious violations” in pilot duty scheduling and oversight procedures.

In a significant enforcement action, the DGCA has ordered the immediate removal of three senior staff members from their crew scheduling and rostering roles: Choorah Singh, divisional vice president of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC); Pinky Mittal, chief manager-DOPS, crew scheduling; and Payal Arora, crew scheduling-planning.

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The aviation regulator cited “systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring and internal accountability” as the reason for their ouster. According to its June 20 enforcement order, the DGCA noted: “Of particular concern is the absence of strict disciplinary measures against key officials directly responsible for these operational lapses. These officials have been involved in serious and repeated lapses.”

Regulator issues final warning

The DGCA has made it clear that future lapses will carry severe consequences. “Any future violation of crew scheduling norms, licensing, or flight time limitations detected in any post-audit or inspection, will attract strict enforcement action, including but not limited to penalties, license suspension, or withdrawal of operator permissions as applicable,” the warning read.

Air India is facing growing regulatory pressure in the wake of the June 12 crash of its London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, as well as more than 30 people on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is currently probing the incident.

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Air India responds

Air India confirmed that it has complied with the DGCA directive and removed the three officials named in the order.

“In the interim, the company’s chief operations officer will provide direct oversight to the IOCC,” the airline said in a statement. “Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices.”