KUFRI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday (Jan 24) imposed a penalty of Rs 1.1 crore on Air India for alleged safety violations on some long range terrain critical routes. An AI pilot had given a “voluntary safety report” to the regulator regarding a flight that was to be operated between India and the US. TOI had broken this story on Nov 2, 2023.
On January 30, 2023, a pilot rostered to operate San Francisco-Bengaluru AI 176 on a leased Boeing 777-200 long range (LR) had refused to operate the flight.The pilot had pointed out that the aircraft did not have sufficient quantity of stored breathing oxygen for the route the flight was planned to take. After the pilot’s refusal, AI gave him another route to fly to Bengaluru which was safe and acceptable to the pilot.
AI later terminated the service of this pilot. He then filed a complaint against AI on October 29, 2023, pointing out the case. The DGCA initiated a probe into his complaint and found the “said operations of the leased aircraft were not in line with regulatory/OEM performance limits.”
The DGCA said in a statement: “Pursuant to the receipt of a voluntary safety report from an airline employee alleging safety violations of flights operated by AI on certain long range terrain critical routes, DGCA conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged violations. Since the investigation prima facie revealed non-compliance by the airline, a show cause notice was issued to AI’s accountable manager.”
“The response to the show cause notice was duly examined with respect to the laid down stipulations under the relevant statutory provisions and the performance limits stipulated in critical documentations laid down by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Since the said operations of the leased aircraft were not in line with regulatory/ OEM performance limits, DGCA has initiated enforcement action and imposed a penalty of Rs. 1.1 crore on AI,” the DGCA statement added.
On January 30, 2023, a pilot rostered to operate San Francisco-Bengaluru AI 176 on a leased Boeing 777-200 long range (LR) had refused to operate the flight.The pilot had pointed out that the aircraft did not have sufficient quantity of stored breathing oxygen for the route the flight was planned to take. After the pilot’s refusal, AI gave him another route to fly to Bengaluru which was safe and acceptable to the pilot.
AI later terminated the service of this pilot. He then filed a complaint against AI on October 29, 2023, pointing out the case. The DGCA initiated a probe into his complaint and found the “said operations of the leased aircraft were not in line with regulatory/OEM performance limits.”
The DGCA said in a statement: “Pursuant to the receipt of a voluntary safety report from an airline employee alleging safety violations of flights operated by AI on certain long range terrain critical routes, DGCA conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged violations. Since the investigation prima facie revealed non-compliance by the airline, a show cause notice was issued to AI’s accountable manager.”
“The response to the show cause notice was duly examined with respect to the laid down stipulations under the relevant statutory provisions and the performance limits stipulated in critical documentations laid down by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Since the said operations of the leased aircraft were not in line with regulatory/ OEM performance limits, DGCA has initiated enforcement action and imposed a penalty of Rs. 1.1 crore on AI,” the DGCA statement added.
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