The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a hefty fine of Rs 80 lakh on Air India for breaching rules related to flight duty time regulations (FDTL) and fatigue management system (FMS).

The action came after a January audit revealed several violations, including insufficient weekly rest periods for crew, inadequate rest before and after ultra-long-range flights, and during layovers.

The audit also uncovered instances of pilots exceeding duty periods, which were incorrectly marked training records. Such violations pose serious risks to flight safety and passenger well-being.

The analysis of reports and evidence showed that Air India Limited operated flights with both flight crew members aged above 60 years flying together in some instances, which is in violation of Sub Rule (2) of Rule 28 A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

"The operator was also found deficient in providing adequate weekly rest, adequate rest before & after ultra-long range (ULR) flights and adequate rest on layover to flight crew, which violates the extant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements pertaining to FDTL," it noted.

Earlier, the aviation regulator imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India when an 80-year-old passenger collapsed during the immigration process on February 12 and died.

Source: India Today