Air India faces severe penalties for violating pilot duty regulations

In India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took significant action against Air India due to reports of repeated violations regarding pilot duty time limits. On June 20, 2025, the DGCA ordered the airline to suspend three executive officials responsible for crew scheduling in response to the incidents occurring on flights between Bengaluru and London on May 16 and 17, 2025. During these flights, violations of the maximum permitted 10-hour flight time for pilots were reported, leading to the regulatory body's intervention. The DGCA's order highlighted systemic failures within Air India's scheduling protocols and a concerning lack of strict disciplinary measures applied to those responsible for oversight. As such, the regulator mandated immediate removal of a divisional vice president, a chief manager of crew scheduling, and a planning executive from their positions. In light of this, Air India committed to enhancing its safety measures and addressing its operational failures. The airline's chief operations officer stepped in to oversee the Integrated Operations Control Centre directly as an interim solution. This escalated scrutiny comes following a tragic incident on June 12, 2025, when a London-bound flight tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. The accident resulted in the loss of 241 lives aboard and additional casualties on the ground. This incident has intensified the regulatory oversight of Air India's operations and raised public concerns regarding safety in the airline industry. Additionally, as a response to the increased safety checks mandated by the DGCA, Air India faced numerous operational disruptions, namely a temporary reduction in its international flight schedules from June 21 to July 15, 2025. The airline announced the suspension of flights to three overseas destinations and cut services on 16 international routes to ensure reliability and minimize last-minute delays for passengers. These alterations were deemed necessary by Air India to stabilize operations amidst the scrutiny following the aforementioned crash, showcasing the gravity of the situation as it seeks to restore public confidence in its services. The airline, which was taken over by Tata Sons in 2022, has previously aimed to modernize its fleet and operations, but these current challenges present significant hurdles to achieving those objectives.