Air India hit with ₹90 Lakh fine by DGCA for deploying unqualified crew on Mumbai-Riyadh flight

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of ₹90 lakh on Air India following a serious breach of safety regulations.

The incident, which occurred on July 9, involved a flight from Mumbai to Riyadh that was operated by an unqualified crew, raising major concerns about the airline's scheduling practices.

The penalty was imposed after Air India voluntarily reported the incident, acknowledging that a junior pilot who was not yet fully certified for independent flying duties was mistakenly assigned to the flight.

The junior pilot was supposed to be paired with a Line Training Captain, Type Rating Instructor, or Designated Examiner, as per aviation safety protocols.

However, due to a scheduling error, the flight was instead operated by a captain who did not hold the necessary qualifications to supervise the trainee.

The issue came to light only during the flight, when the two pilots realized the scheduling error and promptly filed a voluntary report after landing in Riyadh.

The DGCA, upon receiving the report, launched an investigation and identified multiple lapses in the airline’s rostering process, describing it as a “serious scheduling incident with significant safety ramifications.”

In addition to the ₹90 lakh fine levied on Air India, the DGCA also penalized the airline’s Director of Operations and Director of Flight Safety, with fines of ₹6 lakh and ₹3 lakh, respectively.

These fines underscore the regulator's stance on holding senior management accountable for safety violations.

The DGCA’s investigation, while detailed, did not fully disclose all the lapses but made it clear that there were “deficiencies and multiple violations” of regulatory provisions by several key personnel within the airline.

The regulator emphasized that such lapses could have had severe implications for flight safety, and the fines reflect the gravity of the situation.

“It was prima facie revealed that there are deficiencies and multiple violations to the regulatory provisions by several post holders and staff, which could significantly affect safety,” it said.

Air India, which has been under scrutiny for its operational practices, has faced criticism in the past for safety and service issues.