Air India Gets Four Show-Cause Notices From DGCA For Repeated Safety Lapses

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has sent four notices to Air India, asking the Tata Group airline to respond within 15 days about multiple violations related to crew duty and rest norms as well as training protocols.

The notices, dated July 23, cite a total of 29 violations, including pilots not receiving mandated rest periods, insufficient training for operations at high-altitude airports, inadequate simulator training compliance and operating international flights without the required number of cabin crew.

In one of the cases, three Air India pilots operated beyond the mandated weekly duty hours, sparking fatigue management concerns. The regulator asked Air India’s head of operations, Pankul Mathur, to explain the lapse.

Another notice revealed that the airline operated at least four flights to North America between April 27 and May 2 with 12–14 cabin crew members rather than the regulatory minimum of 15. These flights operated shortly after the Pahalgam terror attack when Pakistan closed its airspace, increasing flight times between India and North America. The DGCA held the airline's director of cabin safety responsible for these.

A third notice was sent after three separate violations were found involving cabin crew operating flights without valid competency cards. The regulator held the chief of safety and training management accountable.

The fourth notice from the DGCA listed 19 instances of training-related violations involving pilots. These included a 114-day gap between simulator training and actual flying — a lapse that requires pilots to undergo training again, premature release of pilots before completing required sessions, and multiple violations of night operations clearance. The airline's director of training was called out for failing to ensure compliance.

Air India disclosed these issues voluntarily last month, following the crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad on June 12. However, the DGCA stated these issues persist despite repeated warnings in the past, reflecting "serious deficiencies" in crew scheduling, fatigue management, training and regulatory oversight in flight operations. Such non-compliance raises concerns about safety management, it said.

"Despite repeated warning and enforcement action of non-compliance in the past, systemic issues related to compliance monitoring, crew planning, and training governance remain unresolved," said one of the notices.

"The recurrence of such violations suggests a failure to establish and enforce effective control mechanisms," the aviation safety regulator said, warning that the airline could face enforcement actions, including fines or removal of senior officials, for repeatedly failing to meet safety standards.

In response, Air India said that the notices related to voluntary disclosures were made over the past year, and it will respond to the regulator. "We remain committed to the safety of our crew and passengers," it added.

Air India has come under intense scrutiny since the Ahmedabad crash, which is considered the world's deadliest aviation disaster in recent years.

The domestic carrier has received 13 notices in the past six months in connection with several safety violations. Also, enforcement action has been completed with respect to one violation. Nine days after the crash, the DGCA asked Air India to remove three officials who were in charge of crew rostering following “lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements". Future violations would result in severe action, including the potential revocation of its operating licence, as per the June 20 order.

Days ago, the Airline Pilots' Association of India — representing over 1,000 pilots — also raised alarm over the misuse of pilot duty and rest norms, which could potentially increase the risk of aviation accidents. The pilots' union sought the DGCA's intervention in this matter to ensure flight safety.

Air India crew NDTV Profit spoke with have expressed dissatisfaction with how certain key management personnel are overseeing the company's operations. Some pilots say that they are required to report to work despite inadequate rest, which are mandated for safety, leading to fatigue and raising concerns about the potential compromise of flight safety.

As many as 112 pilots — 51 commanders and 61 first officers— went to sick leave four days after the Ahmedabad crash, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said on Thursday.