Indian Aviation regulator DGCA has imposed a penalty of Rs.90 lakh on Air India for operating a flight with non-qualified crew members.
Besides, the watchdog has slapped fines of Rs.6 lakh and Rs.3 lakh on Air India’s Director of Operations and Director of Training, respectively, for the lapse.
In a release, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the pilot concerned has been warned to exercise caution to prevent such occurrences in future.
“Air India Ltd operated a flight commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer which has been viewed by the regulator as a serious scheduling incident having significant safety ramifications,” the release said.
After the incident came to its notice through a voluntary report submitted by the airline on July 10, the regulator investigated the operations of the carrier, including examination of documentation and spot check of the scheduling facility.
