Air India Fined 1.1 Crores After Complaint By Pilot Who Refused To Fly

Air India has been fined over a crore over safety-related violations on flights operated on certain long-range terrain critical routes, the country's aviation regulator said today. The case pertains to a pilot refusing to operate a non-stop Bengaluru-San Francisco flight that didn't have enough emergency oxygen on board, said sources.

The airline, meanwhile, has "disagreed" with the regulator's order and insisted that "there was no compromise on safety".

"We disagree with the order issued by the DGCA. The issues raised were thoroughly examined by Air India along with external experts concluding that there was no compromise on safety, whatsoever," an airline spokesperson said.

"We are studying the order in detail and will review the options available to us including our right to appeal as well as taking it up with the regulator," it added.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it opened a probe after an airline employee voluntarily flagged the violations. The probe revealed "non-compliance by the airline", prompting a show cause notice to the airline, and ultimately the penalty.

"Pursuant to the receipt of a voluntary safety report from an airline employee alleging safety violations of flights operated by M/s Air India on certain long range terrain critical routes, DGCA conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged violations," the watchdog said.

Based on the airline's response to its notice, the DGCA imposed Rs 1.1 crore fine on Air India.

"Since the said operations of the leased aircraft were not in line with regulatory/ OEM performance limits, DGCA has initiated enforcement action and imposed a penalty of Rs. 1.10 crore on M/s Air India," read the press note.

This is the second time in a week that Air India faced penalties by the DGCA. Last Thursday, Air India was fined Rs 30 lakh for poor preparedness leading to fog delays.