look news india
DGCA imposed fine on Air India: Aviation sector regulator DGCA on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 80 lakh on Tata Group-controlled Air India. The penalty was imposed for violating norms related to limiting flight service duration and fatigue management system for the crew. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had conducted an on-the-spot audit of Air India in January. This decision has been taken on the basis of evidence collected during this period.
Negligence in providing adequate rest, show cause notice issued
“Analysis of reports and evidence revealed that Air India Limited had operated flights with both crew members, in some cases, above 60 years of age,” the regulator said in a statement. According to the statement, the airline has neglected to provide its crew with adequate weekly rest and adequate rest before and after long flights. The regulator had issued a show cause notice to Air India regarding the violations on March 1. The airline's response to this notice was not found satisfactory.
A fine of Rs 30 lakh was imposed
DGCA had earlier imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for not providing a wheelchair to an 80-year-old passenger at Mumbai airport. Due to lack of wheelchair, the passenger had to walk from the plane to the terminal and fell. Later this passenger died. This incident happened on 12th February. The official said, 'Air India has not even informed about the action taken against the guilty employees in this case.'
Under the new rules of DGCA, which are going to be implemented from June 1, pilots have been given enough time to rest, so that their fatigue can be removed. The revised norms provide for increasing the weekly rest period for pilots to 48 hours and limiting the number of landings during night operations to two.