The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a significant penalty on Air India, a company of the Tata Group, citing security violations on crucial long-distance routes.
DGCA revealed that instances of security breaches were identified in flights operating on certain important routes. Consequently, the airline has been fined INR 1.10 crore.
According to the aviation regulator, some Boeing 777 aircraft of Air India were operated in the United States without emergency oxygen supply, which constitutes a violation of safety regulations.
The decision to penalize Air India came after a complaint was filed by a former senior pilot.
According to a PTI report, a former pilot who had served as a B777 commander was terminated from his position after refusing to operate Air India's Boeing 777 aircraft for the route to the United States without the essential emergency oxygen supply system.
The complaint, filed on October 29, was addressed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA. The pilot stated that on January 30, 2023, he declined to fly an Air India route from San Francisco to Bengaluru due to the absence of the critical emergency oxygen supply system. Three months later, the pilot was relieved of his duties.
