The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a financial penalty of Rs 90 lakh on Tata Group-owned Air India Limited for operating a flight with non-qualified crew members, according to a statement issued on Friday. Additionally, the DGCA has fined the Director of Operations and the Director of Training at Air India Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.
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According to several reports, the incident involved a flight operated by a non-trainer line captain and a non-line-released first officer, which the DGCA deemed a serious safety lapse. The regulator became aware of the issue through a voluntary report submitted by Air India on July 10. Following this, the DGCA conducted a thorough investigation, including document examination and a spot check of the airline’s scheduling facility. The investigation revealed deficiencies and multiple regulatory violations by several Air India staff members, which could impact safety. The DGCA issued show cause notices to the concerned flight commander and approved post holders on July 22. Their responses were found unsatisfactory.