DGCA Orders Top-Level Shakeup at Air India Over Crew Duty Violations

In a rare and strong regulatory move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed immediate removal of three senior Air India officials, including a divisional vice president, from all responsibilities related to flight crew scheduling and rostering.

The directive follows an audit of Air India’s Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC), where the aviation regulator identified serious violations in crew duty norms. Specifically, two long-haul flights – AI133 from Bengaluru to London Heathrow on May 16 and 17 – were found to have breached the maximum flight duty time limitation of 10 hours, as per the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 7, Series J, Part III.

These were regular commercial flights, not exceptional or emergency services, which makes the breach more severe in the eyes of the regulator.

In addition to the removals, the DGCA has asked Air India to launch internal disciplinary proceedings against the officials involved. A failure to comply could result in severe consequences, including possible revocation of the airline’s operating license.

A show cause notice has also been served to Air India’s Accountable Manager – typically a top-tier executive – demanding an explanation within seven days. The notice warns that non-response will lead to ex parte action based solely on the available evidence.

Air India has responded, stating:

“We acknowledge the regulator’s directive and have implemented the order. The Chief Operations Officer will now oversee the IOCC directly. We remain fully committed to upholding all safety standards and regulatory compliance.”

The IOCC is the nerve centre for real-time crew deployment, flight dispatch, route planning, and weather tracking. Regulatory lapses at this level are considered a serious threat to operational safety and crew welfare.