Air India Fined ₹30 Lakh for Pilot Recency Violation

Air India Faces Rs 30 Lakh Fine from DGCA for Safety Violations

Delhi – The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a hefty fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, due to serious safety violations involving a pilot. This critical issue arose when a first officer operated a flight without fulfilling mandatory safety requirements, highlighting significant lapses in the airline’s operational protocols.

The DGCA’s order, issued on January 29, 2025, criticized Air India for its deficient rostering system, which allowed this serious breach to occur. Reports from Times of India indicate that the airline failed to ensure compliance with essential safety regulations, raising concerns about passenger safety.

Air India Penalized for Safety Breach

An investigation revealed that the first officer operated a flight on July 7 without completing the required three takeoffs and landings necessary to maintain operational currency. Internal communications from Air India dated July 12, 2024, acknowledged that rostering controllers ignored several alerts regarding this compliance issue, ultimately leading to the current penalty.

As part of the DGCA’s directive, Air India is required to take disciplinary measures against three senior officials in the rostering department. The airline must report the actions taken to the DGCA within 15 days. This comes in the wake of an unsatisfactory response to a show cause notice issued to the airline’s heads of operations and rostering on December 13.

Commitment to Aviation Safety

The DGCA’s enforcement action underscores its unwavering commitment to upholding stringent safety standards within the Indian aviation industry. Air India must remit the penalty amount within thirty days of the order, marking one of the most significant fines the carrier has faced for operational safety violations.

Previous Penalties Highlight Safety Concerns

In August 2024, the DGCA levied a penalty of 90 lakh INR on Air India for operating a Mumbai-Riyadh flight with an unqualified crew. This incident involved the assignment of an unauthorized junior pilot alongside a non-trainer captain, deemed a “serious scheduling incident” that posed a threat to flight safety.

The DGCA has taken multiple regulatory actions against Air India in 2024 alone. Here are some notable penalties:

• May 2024: Reprimanded for persistent passenger comfort issues, including inadequate cabin cooling and frequent flight delays.
• March 2024: Fined 80 lakh INR for violations related to pilot rest regulations after a January audit revealed breaches of Flight Duty Time Limit protocols.
• February 2024: Imposed a 30 lakh INR penalty following an incident where an elderly passenger died from cardiac arrest due to wheelchair service denial.
• January 2024: Another 30 lakh INR fine was issued for insufficient pilot training in low-visibility operations, causing significant flight disruptions.

The DGCA’s scrutiny extends back to 2023, with two pilots suspended for allowing unauthorized cockpit access during a Chandigarh-Leh flight. Other fines include a 30 lakh INR penalty in January 2023 for mishandling a passenger misconduct incident and a 10 lakh INR penalty in June 2022 for failing to compensate passengers denied boarding.

For more insights into aviation safety regulations and Air India’s compliance history, you can read our related articles here and here.

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