New Delhi, June 22 - India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a stern warning to Air India for repeated violations of pilot flight duty time regulations, highlighting significant lapses in crew scheduling and oversight. The warning, issued on June 20, 2025, follows an investigation into flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17, 2025, which exceeded the mandated 10-hour flight time limit for pilots. This breach prompted the DGCA to order Air India to remove three senior executives from crew scheduling roles, including a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling, and a planning executive, citing "systemic failures in scheduling protocol and oversights." The regulator criticized the airline for its lack of strict disciplinary measures against those responsible, emphasizing the need for immediate corrective action to ensure compliance with safety standards.
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The DGCA's directive comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India, though the violations are unrelated to the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane earlier in June 2025, which claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers onboard. The June 20 order underscores ongoing concerns about Air India's adherence to safety protocols, particularly in managing pilot fatigue, a critical factor in aviation safety. The regulator noted that the violations were voluntarily disclosed by Air India during a review of its transition between crew scheduling software systems, revealing deficiencies in licensing, rest, and recency requirements for flight crew. In response, Air India has implemented the DGCA's orders, with its chief operations officer now directly overseeing the Integrated Operations Control Centre to strengthen compliance with safety protocols.
This is not the first instance of Air India facing regulatory action. In February 2025, India's government reported to parliament that the DGCA had issued warnings or fines in 23 cases of safety violations in 2024, with approximately half involving Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express. Notably, Air India was fined $127,000 for insufficient oxygen supplies on board during some international flights, highlighting a pattern of compliance issues. Additionally, on June 19, 2025, the DGCA issued a separate warning to Air India for operating three Airbus planes with overdue inspections on critical emergency equipment, such as escape slides. In one case, an Airbus A320 jet was found to have delayed inspections by over a month, raising further concerns about the airline’s maintenance and oversight processes.
Air India, privatized in 2022 under Tata Sons, has been undergoing significant transformation, including fleet upgrades and digital system improvements. However, these recent violations underscore the challenges the airline faces in aligning its operations with stringent regulatory standards. The DGCA has warned that any future breaches of crew scheduling norms or flight time limitations could lead to severe consequences, including penalties, license suspensions, or even the withdrawal of operator permissions. Air India has committed to addressing these issues, emphasizing its dedication to safety and operational reliability as it works to rebuild its reputation in the competitive aviation market.
