The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken action against Air India, issuing a notice to the airline’s CEO concerning breaches of pilot duty regulations. The DGCA has strongly cautioned CEO and Accountable Manager Campbell Wilson for the alleged misuse of duty hour exemptions and for providing unsatisfactory explanations related to the matter. The violations concern flight duty time limitations (FDTL).
The airline had been given a limited exemption on cockpit crew duty hours until April 2025 after Pakistan closed its airspace. This exemption was strictly for flights operating through Pakistani airspace.
On August 11, the DGCA sent a letter to the airline warning the Accountable Manager and emphasizing adherence to civil aviation requirements (CAR).
The violations occurred on two flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16th and 17th. Investigations revealed that pilots on both flights exceeded the 10-hour duty limit as defined in the CAR. Furthermore, the cockpit crew on these flights was reduced from three to two members. These concessions were only applicable to flights that used Pakistani airspace and not other international flights.
Air India had previously received a show-cause notice from the DGCA on June 20th. This notice asked for an explanation on why action should not be taken against the airline for breaching FDTL regulations. An Air India spokesperson reported that the airline had received the DGCA’s letter. The spokesperson explained that the letter concerned the scheduling of the two flights in May and that the problems arose due to a misunderstanding of the permissions granted after the closure of Pakistani airspace. The spokesperson further confirmed that these issues have been addressed and that the airline is now fully compliant with the rules.