India’s aviation regulator has ordered the removal of three senior Air India officials following the discovery of serious operational lapses in crew scheduling. The move comes just over a week after a devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad claimed 241 lives.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed that the three officials, including a divisional vice president, be stripped of all roles and responsibilities related to crew rostering and scheduling. The officials named in the order are Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager – DOPS, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling – Planning.
According to the DGCA order, the violations were uncovered during a post-transition review of the airline’s switch from the ARMS system to the CAE Flight and Crew Management System. The regulator described the lapses as serious and potentially compromising to flight safety.
“These officials are to be immediately reassigned to non-operational roles,” the DGCA stated, adding that they are barred from holding any position that could directly impact flight safety or crew compliance until further notice. The regulator has also ordered internal disciplinary proceedings against the three, with a report on the outcome due within 10 days.
While the DGCA’s action is not directly linked to the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI171, it follows heightened scrutiny of the airline’s safety practices. The London-bound Airbus, which took off from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after departure, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The aircraft struck a hostel housing medical staff near the airport, resulting in further casualties on the ground.
In the days leading up to the crash, the DGCA had issued a separate warning to Air India regarding safety violations involving delayed inspections of emergency systems on three Airbus aircraft. Though that warning was not specifically related to the AI171 flight, it underscored growing regulatory concern about the airline’s operational standards.
The recent disciplinary action highlights the DGCA’s push to enforce tighter oversight of crew management protocols in the wake of one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent history.
As investigations continue into the cause of the Ahmedabad crash, Air India is expected to face further regulatory scrutiny. The aviation community and public alike will be closely watching the airline’s response—and the outcomes of the internal disciplinary proceedings now underway.
