The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken action against Air India, issuing a notice to the airline’s CEO. The warning concerns breaches of pilot duty regulations. The DGCA has reprimanded CEO and Accountable Manager Campbell Wilson for alleged misuse of duty hour exemptions and for providing inadequate explanations regarding the matter. The violations relate to flight duty time limitations (FDTL).
Following the closure of Pakistani airspace, Air India was granted a temporary exemption on cockpit crew duty hours, which was to last until April 2025. This exemption was specifically for flights that passed through Pakistani airspace.
The DGCA sent a letter to the airline on August 11. The letter cautioned the Accountable Manager, emphasizing the need for strict compliance with civil aviation requirements (CAR) and proper execution of responsibilities.
The issues arose from two flights that operated from Bengaluru to London on May 16th and 17th. Investigations revealed that both flights exceeded the maximum 10-hour duty limit for pilots, as stipulated in the CAR. Furthermore, the cockpit crew on these flights was reduced to two, instead of the standard three members. These relaxations were only applicable to flights using Pakistani airspace, and not other international routes.
Air India had been issued a show-cause notice by the DGCA on June 20th, in connection to the flights. The notice sought an explanation for why action should not be taken due to the violation of FDTL. An Air India spokesperson stated that the airline had received the DGCA’s letter and confirmed that the matter concerned the scheduling of the two flights in May. The spokesperson attributed the issues to a misunderstanding of the permissions granted after the closure of Pakistani airspace and that the airline now fully complies with the rules.