In a strong regulatory move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Air India to remove three senior officials from their crew scheduling roles following repeated and serious violations of aviation safety norms.
The officials named in the directive are Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager – DOPS, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling – Planning.
According to the DGCA’s order dated June 20, the individuals were found responsible for several operational lapses, including unauthorized and non-compliant crew pairings, breaches of licensing requirements, and failure to comply with mandatory crew rest norms. The order also cited systemic oversight failures within the crew management process. These issues surfaced during a post-transition audit following Air India’s switch from the ARMS platform to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System.
In a separate development, the same day, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to Air India over violations of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilots operating two Bangalore–London flights on May 16 and 17. The regulator noted that the airline’s accountable manager “failed to ensure adherence” to the prescribed norms and has sought a response within seven days.
The twin actions underline the DGCA’s growing concerns over Air India’s operational compliance and crew scheduling practices. The aviation regulator has reiterated that any compromise on flight safety will invite strict enforcement measures. Air India has yet to issue a public response to either the directive or the show-cause notice.
Air India Flight 171, a scheduled international passenger service from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, resulting in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Indian history.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members when it went down near a densely populated area shortly after departure. Tragically, only one passenger survived the crash. Authorities have confirmed that at least 39 people on the ground also lost their lives due to the impact and resulting fire.
This incident marks the first fatal crash and total hull loss involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and stands as India’s second-deadliest aviation accident to date.
