DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh fine on Air India over pilot allowing female freind into cockpit

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday slapped a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for lapses in effectively addressing the "safety sensitive issue" related to the incident of a pilot allowing a female friend into the cockpit during a Delhi-Dubai flight on February 27.

This is the third time in less than four months that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India for lapses.

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Ever since the incident was reported, officials had maintained that it happened onboard a Dubai-Delhi flight as there was confusion about the flight number. Actually, the incident happened on a Delhi-Dubai flight.

While imposing the penalty, the regulator in a statement said that Air India did not take prompt corrective action, but the airline rejected the assertion.

In connection with the Delhi-Dubai flight incident, the regulator has also suspended the licence of the pilot who operated the flight for three months and the co-pilot has been warned for not being assertive in preventing the violation.

Besides, the airline has been directed to take administrative action against the "Staff On Duty (SOD)/passenger including removing from any managerial functions in the organisation for a specified period".

In a statement, DGCA said during the operation of Air India flight AI-915 from Delhi to Dubai on February 27, the pilot in command allowed the entry into cockpit during cruise an airline SOD travelling as a passenger, in violation of regulations.

"Air India CEO received a complaint in this regard from one of the operating crew members of the flight. However, the organisation did not take prompt corrective action despite this being a safety sensitive violation.

"Anticipating delayed response, the complainant approached the DGCA," the statement said.

Against this backdrop, the regulator has imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for "not promptly and effectively addressing the safety sensitive issue".

While acknowledging and accepting Air India's DGCA ruling, the airline, however, rejected the "assertion that no action was taken by Air India in response to the complaint".

"There were a number of allegations which needed to be worked through with due process and confidentiality, and which commenced immediately upon the complaint being lodged," Air India said in a statement.

Among other actions related to the Delhi-Dubai flight incident, DGCA has suspended the licence of the pilot in command for a period of three months for misuse of his authority vested under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and allowing violation of the applicable DGCA regulations.

After the incident came to its knowledge, DGCA directed Air India to deroster the entire crew of the Delhi-Dubai flight till investigations were complete.

On April 21, DGCA had issued show cause notices to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and the Head of Safety, Security and Quality Functions Henry Donohoe for not doing timely reporting of the incident to the regulator.

Earlier, sources had said the incident occurred on February 27 and it was reported through a confidential mail to Campbell and Donohoe on March 3.

This is the third time since January 20 that DGCA has penalised Air India in connection with lapses related to certain incidents.

On January 24, the watchdog imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for not reporting two incidents of unruly passenger behaviour onboard a Paris-Delhi flight in December 6, 2022.

In that flight, one drunk passenger was caught smoking in the lavatory and not adhering to the crew instructions, and another passenger allegedly relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow female passenger when she went to the lavatory. These incidents were not immediately reported to the regulator.

Prior to that on January 20, DGCA slapped a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Air India as well as suspended the licence of the pilot-in-command of the New York-Delhi flight in which a person allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger.

In the incident that happened on November 26, 2022, the watchdog had also slapped a fine of Rs 3 lakh on Air India's Director of in-flight services for failing to discharge her duties.