DGCA Cracks Down on Air India Over Crew Lapses After Ahmedabad Crash, Removes Top Officials

New Delhi: In the wake of the catastrophic Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed over 275 people, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched strict action against the airline, citing serious violations in crew rostering and scheduling protocols.

Following a detailed audit, the aviation regulator ordered the immediate removal of three senior Air India officials from all responsibilities related to flight crew scheduling. The officials named in the directive are:

• Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President
• Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager – DOPS, Crew Scheduling
• Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling – Planning

According to the DGCA, the airline committed multiple breaches, including non-compliant crew pairings, and violations of rest, licensing, and recency norms, all of which are critical to flight safety. These violations were detected during the transition from the ARMS platform to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System.

“Repeated and serious violations voluntarily disclosed by M/s Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements,” read the DGCA order.

The removed officials have been reassigned to non-operational roles, and will remain excluded from any position that influences flight safety until further notice. The airline has been directed to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings and submit a compliance report within 10 days.

The DGCA has also warned of escalated penalties in the future for any further violations of crew duty time limitations, licensing compliance, or scheduling protocols, including the possibility of license suspension or operator permissions being revoked.

This regulatory action comes just days after the tragic June 12 crash of Air India flight AI-171, a London-bound Boeing 787 that went down seconds after takeoff, crashing into the BJ Medical College hostel complex. The accident killed 241 passengers and crew, along with dozens of students on the ground, leaving only one survivor.