Air India fined 80 lakh for violating
crew duty time rules
NEW DELHI: Civil aviation regulator Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a fine of 80 lakh on Air India for violating norms related to fight duty
time limitations and fatigue management systems of flight crew.
The aviation regulator, in a
statement issued on Friday, said that it
imposed a fine for violation of regulations pertaining to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and fatigue
management system (FMS) of flight crew.
As a proactive step towards
ensuring a high level of safety in aviation , DGCA conducted a spot audit of
Air India Limited in the month of January this year verifying the regulatory
compliance by the operator in respect of FDTL and FMS regulations”, the
statement read.
DGCA said that it collected
the evidence during the audit and even analysed fleet wise random reports. “DGCA
is committed to maintaining levels of safety in the civil aviation sector in
India and this enforcement action is in line with its commitment,” it said.
The analysis of reports and
evidence revealed that M/s Air India Limited operated flight with both flight
crew aged above 60 years flying together in a few instances, which is a
violation of Sub Rule (2) of Rule 28 A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937,” it said.
The aviation watchdog said
that Air India was also found deficient in providing adequate rest before and
after ultra-long range (ULR) flights and adequate rest on layover to flight
crew, which violates the extant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements
pertaining to FDTL.
The regulator stated that it
also found instances of exceeding duty periods, wrongly marked training
records, overlapping duties during the audit.
As a result the DGCA issued
a show cause notice to Air India Limited on March 1 for submitting response to
the observed violations. The airline’s response to the regulator was not found
satisfactory after which Air India was fined.
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