DGCA Flags Violations by Air India in Flight Crew Scheduling and Rostering, Directs it to Remove Three Senior Officials
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 21: Implementing the directives of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India on Saturday removed three senior officials including a divisional vice president, from all responsibilities related to flight crew scheduling and rostering.
The civil aviation regulator had issued the directive to remove the three officials from their roles and responsibilities in the flight operations department for “systemic failures” and “multiple violations” in flight crew scheduling. The DGCA order states that internal disciplinary proceedings must be initiated against these officials without delay.
The order stated that there were “multiple violations concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements.” The findings were revealed during a review of the airline’s transition from one software to another used for scheduling of crew. It is learnt that the software change at Air India happened last year in May. These violations were voluntarily disclosed by Air India, the order notes
The directive by the civil aviation regulator is among the sternest interventions in recent months involving a full-service scheduled airline. The DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned carrier to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against the three officials without further delay. Failure to do so would result in severe action, including the possibility of the airline losing its operating permission.
The DGCA’s action stems from its audit of Air India’s Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC), which oversees crew deployment across the airline’s domestic and international network. According to the show cause notice issued by the regulator, two flights operated by Air India – AI133 from Bengaluru to London Heathrow on May 16 and May 17 – exceeded the maximum flight duty time limitation of 10 hours. The operation of these flights violated Para 6.1.3 of the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 7, Series J, Part III, Issue III, dated 24 April 2019, according to the show cause notice. The flights in question were not emergency or exceptional operations. The DGCA contends they were regular long-haul services.
One of the key officials against whom the DGCA has asked for disciplinary action is the Divisional Vice President of Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). An IOCC is essentially the “nerve centre” of an airline, responsible for coordinating and managing various operational aspects to ensure safe, efficient, and legally compliant flights.
The IOCC is a key component in any airline’s structure, responsible for real-time crew management, flight dispatch, weather monitoring, and route planning. Missteps or regulatory non-compliance at this level can directly affect passenger safety and crew welfare. It falls under the Operations department of an airline that oversees all flight operations as well as pilots and cabin crew, including their rosters.
The DGCA also warned Air India that future violations in crew scheduling will invite “strict action,” including licence suspension and operational restrictions. “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 order said.
The order came days after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London, crashed minutes after take-off, killing 241 people on board including all the 12 crew members.
The DGCA also separately issued a show cause notice to Air India’s Accountable Manager, typically a high-ranking official. The notice demands an explanation within seven days from the date of receipt, asking why enforcement action should not be initiated under relevant provisions. “Failure to submit your reply within the stipulated period shall result in the matter being decided ex parte based on the evidence available on record,” the regulator warned.
Responding to the directive, Air India acknowledged the seriousness of the observations made by the DGCA. “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). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,” Air India said in a statement.
As per DGCA norms, pilots operating in a cockpit must meet specific qualification criteria to be paired with each other. These criteria include factors such as the number of flying hours each pilot has logged, so that the combined total of experience in the cockpit meets a prescribed minimum threshold.
Both pilots must also be qualified for specific operational requirements, for example, low-visibility operations, ‘Atlantic qualifications’, or clearances for operating in high-altitude or critical airfields such as Leh or Ladakh. Valid Licenses is mandatory for the airline to ensure that both pilots at the controls meet all licensing requirements. Their licenses must be current, and all mandated refresher courses and proficiency checks must be up to date.
There were indications of repeated violations of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms which point at systemic failures. These include requirements to provide pilots with adequate rest before a flight and compliance with similar guidelines. The questions raised by the DGCA included why these violations were not flagged by the software systems? Why are such issues not pre-empted or prevented before pilots operate flights? Pointing to the possibility of manual overrides of automated systems it also asked if the rostering process was manipulated.
