The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday ordered immediate action against three senior officials of Air India following “serious and repeated violations" related to flight crew scheduling and rostering.

The lapses, voluntarily disclosed by the airline, revealed that flight crew were scheduled and operated despite not meeting mandatory licensing, rest, and recency norms.

The aviation regulator further ordered that internal disciplinary proceedings must be initiated against these officials without delay, and the outcome of such proceedings shall be reported within 10 days.

The letter issued by the DGCA also stated that the 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.

The regulator also stated that it has identified three officials as directly accountable, namely Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager in the Directorate of Operations, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling – Planning.

“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 concluded.

The order came days after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London, crashed minutes after takeoff, killing 241 people on board.

Following DGCA’s order, Air India responded saying that the airlines has acknowledge the the 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," the Air India spokesperson added.

Source: News18