New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken strict action against three senior Air India officials over repeated and serious violations in flight crew scheduling. While the suspensions are unrelated to the recent AI171 crash, they stem from broader systemic issues.

On June 21, the DGCA ordered the airline to remove three officials from their roles for failures in crew scheduling, oversight, and compliance. Those named include Divisional Vice President Choorah Singh, Chief Manager of Crew Scheduling Pinky Mittal, and Scheduling Planner Payal Arora.

The regulator’s order points to several irregularities—such as unauthorized crew pairings and violations of mandatory rest, licensing, and recency norms. These were discovered after the airline transitioned from the ARMS system to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System, during which Air India self-reported the breaches.

Of particular concern to the DGCA was the lack of disciplinary action against those responsible. As a result, the following directives were issued:

1. M/s Air India is directed to remove the above-mentioned officials from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering.

2. Internal disciplinary proceedings must be initiated against these officials without delay, and the outcome of such proceedings shall be reported to this office within 10 days from the date of issue of this letter.

3. The aforementioned 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.

4. 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.

Air India responded by stating that it has complied with the directive and that the Chief Operations Officer will now directly oversee the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). The airline reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the highest safety and regulatory standards. DeshGujarat