Days After Crash, DGCA Directs Air India To Remove 3 Top Officials 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the removal of three senior officials of Air India following “serious and repeated violations" related to flight crew scheduling and rostering.

The officials named are Choorah Singh, Divisional Vice President; Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager - DOPS, Crew Scheduling; and Payal Arora, Crew Scheduling - Planning. The regulator stated that it has identified these three officials as directly accountable.

The aviation regulator further ordered that internal disciplinary proceedings must be initiated against these officials without delay, and the outcome of such proceedings shall be reported within 10 days.

The letter issued by the DGCA also stated that the officials shall be reassigned to non-operational roles pending the conclusion of corrective reforms in scheduling practices, and shall not hold any position involving direct influence over flight safety and crew compliance until further notice.

 “Any future violation of crew scheduling norms, licensing, or flight time limitations detected in any post-audit or inspection will attract strict enforcement action, including but not limited to penalties, license suspension, or withdrawal of operator permissions, as applicable," the order concluded.

The order came days after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London, crashed minutes after takeoff, killing 241 people on board.

Following DGCA’s order, Air India responded saying that the airline has acknowledged the the directive and has implemented the order.