India’s aviation regulator, DGCA, has taken strict action against three senior Air India officials for repeatedly violating rules around flight crew scheduling. These serious mistakes came to light after Air India itself disclosed the lapses during a recent system upgrade for managing flight crews.
The DGCA found that pilots and crew were being scheduled for flights even though they hadn’t met essential safety requirements like rest periods, license renewals, and recent flying experience. These are critical for safe flying, and skipping them puts passengers and crew at risk.
The three officials held responsible are Choorah Singh (Divisional Vice President), Pinky Mittal (Chief Manager of Crew Scheduling), and Payal Arora (Crew Planning). According to the DGCA, the issue wasn’t just an oversight—it pointed to deeper problems in how Air India monitors and manages flight operations.
The regulator has ordered Air India to immediately remove these officials from any role related to flight crew scheduling. Disciplinary action has also been demanded, and Air India has been asked to report back on the outcome within 10 days.
Until further notice, the officials will be placed in non-operational roles. They won’t be allowed to make decisions that affect flight safety or crew assignments.
This action comes just days after a tragic Air India flight crash from Ahmedabad to Gatwick that killed 241 people—an event that has added urgency to the DGCA’s decision.
