Air India crash: DGCA orders removal of 3 airline officials
What's the story
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered the immediate removal of three senior Air India officials over serious violations in flight crew scheduling. The officials—Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager - DOPS, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling - Planning—were found responsible for unauthorized crew pairings and licensing breaches. The DGCA's directive comes days after a tragic crash involving an Air India flight.
Disciplinary action
Air India directed to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings
The DGCA has mandated Air India to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against the three officials within 10 days. The airline is also required to submit a report of these proceedings to the aviation watchdog. Until further notice, the officials are barred from holding any positions with direct influence on flight safety and crew compliance. They have been reassigned to non-operational roles pending corrective reforms in scheduling practices.
DGCA's order
Statement by DGCA
"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 stated. "The aforementioned officials shall be reassigned to non-operational roles pending conclusion of corrective reforms in scheduling practices, and shall not hold any position involving direct influence over flight safety and crew compliance until further notice," it added.
Enforcement warning
Future violations may lead to penalties, license suspension
The DGCA's letter also warned that any future violations of crew scheduling norms would lead to strict enforcement action. This could include penalties, license suspension, or withdrawal of operator permissions. The issues came to light during a post-transition audit from the ARMS to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System. Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12. The crash resulted in 241 fatalities on board and 33 on the ground.