4 days ago
'Serious' safety violations: DGCA issues 4 show cause notices to Air India
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday (July 23) issued four show-cause notices to Air India over repeated violations of cabin crew deployment, training lapses, rest regulations, and operational oversight that compromise flight safety.
The regulator has held multiple senior executives accountable, and asked the airline to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated.
The DGCA has given the airline 14-15 days to respond. The regulator will proceed with enforcement action based on available evidence if Air India fails to reply to the notices.
The enforcement action comes weeks after the AI171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, wherein 260 people were killed.
One of the notices was based on Air India's voluntary disclosure dated June 20, which revealed that the airline operated four ultra long-range flights in April and May, with fewer cabin crew members than the regulatory minimum of 15. On flights AI126 and AI188 on April 27, only 12 and 14 crew members were deployed, respectively. On April 28, AI190 had 14 crew, and on May 2, AI126 flew with only 12. These flights violated rules the deal with crew's fatigue risk management. The DGCA held the airline's Director of Cabin Safety responsible for these.
'Such non-compliance represents a serious breach and raises concerns about the safety management and operational oversight,' the DGCA stated in the first notice.
A second notice, based on a disclosure dated June 21, flagged three separate violations involving cabin crew operating flights without valid competency cards. One crew member flew on April 10 and 11 despite a lapsed certification, while another served on multiple flights between February and May under similar conditions, and a third operated a flight on December 1, 2024, after deploying an emergency slide, which disqualifies them from flying without undergoing a requalification process. The regulator held the Chief of Safety and Training Management accountable.
When asked about these notices, Air India spokesperson said, "We acknowledge receipt of these notices related to certain voluntary disclosures that were made over the last one year. We will respond to the said notices within the stipulated period. We remain committed to the safety of our crew and passengers."
The third notice from the DGCA listed 19 instances of training-related lapses involving pilots. These included a 114-day gap between simulator training and a release check, premature release of pilots before completing required sessions, and multiple violations of night operations clearance. The Director of Training was called out for failing to ensure compliance with training oversight mechanisms.
The fourth notice related to three instances of crew duty and weekly rest requirements, reported by the airline itself on June 20. Two of the breaches occurred on June 24, 2024, and one on June 13, 2025. These were found to contravene regulation that governs crew fatigue and scheduling.
'Despite repeated warning and enforcement action of non-compliance in the past, systemic issues related to compliance monitoring, crew planning, and training governance (remain) unresolved,' the fourth notice mentioned. The Director of Flight Operations, Pankul Mathur, was held responsible.
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