Air India in Trouble: DGCA Flags 29 Safety Violations, Warns of Action

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reportedly warned Air India of possible enforcement action for breaching safety standards related to crew fatigue, according to recent reports.

As per sources, Air India voluntarily informed the DGCA of the issues, which occurred both last year and this year. The airline submitted its report just days after one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.

Following this, the Indian aviation regulator issued four notices to Air India on July 23, criticizing the airline for repeated safety compliance failures despite previous warnings.

As part of potential regulatory action, Air India could face financial penalties or be directed to remove key executives from their roles.

It is worth noting that the DGCA had earlier ordered the removal of three Air India employees from all responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering.

The latest notices cite 29 violations, including failure to provide pilots with mandatory rest periods, poor compliance with simulator training protocols, inadequate training for high-altitude airport operations, and operating international flights with insufficient cabin crew.

One notice reportedly flagged that systemic issues in compliance monitoring, crew planning, and training governance remain unresolved, despite repeated warnings and past enforcement actions.

“The recurrence of such violations suggests a failure to establish and enforce effective control mechanisms,” the notice stated.

In response, Air India said it would reply to the regulator and reiterated its commitment to the safety of both crew and passengers.