The regulator has also ordered the airline to take “administrative action” against the passenger friend who had traveled as a staff member on duty (SOD), including “removing her from all managerial roles in the organization for a period of time.”
AI has been fined 70 lakh rupees by the DGCA in three separate cases in recent months. While AI accepted Friday’s order, it said it “rejects the claim that it took no action in response to the complaint” and claimed it took action as soon as it received the same.
“During flight AI 915 (Delhi-Dubai), the PIC allowed an AI SOD traveling as a passenger to access the flight deck during cruise, in violation of DGCA regulations. The Air India CEO received a complaint from a member of the flight crew. However, the organization did not take immediate corrective action despite the breach being a safety related one. Expecting a delayed response, the complainant contacted the DGCA,” the regulator said in a statement.
An AI spokesman said: “We recognize and accept the DGCA’s decision. However, we reject the claim that Air India took no action in response to the complaint. There were a number of allegations which had to be dealt with under due process and confidentiality and which started immediately after the complaint was made.”
In the “Girlfriend in the cockpit” case, the DGCA took three-stage measures. “AI has been fined 30 lakh rupees for failing to promptly and effectively address the security related issue. The PIC’s pilot license was suspended for three months for abusing his powers under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and enabling a breach of applicable DGCA regulations. The co-pilot was cautioned because he was not determined in preventing the violation,” the statement said. “AI has been ordered to take administrative action against the SOD/passenger, including the removal of any managerial role in the organization for a period of time,” it said.
In recent months, AI has often been subject to heavy fines. These include a fine of 30 lakh rupees for failing to report an incident on November 26, 2022 in which a male passenger relieved himself of a female passenger in business class on board AI-102 flight New York-Delhi. Then it was fined 10 lakh rupees for failing to report an incident on December 6, 2022 onboard AI-142 Paris-Delhi flight, in which a passenger defecated on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow passenger when she went to the toilet.
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