Air India Pilots Grounded for License and Training Lapses

Two Air India pilots have been grounded after being found operating flights without meeting mandatory licence and training requirements, highlighting ongoing scheduling and compliance issues at the airline.

In one case, an Airbus A320 co-pilot flew a commercial flight without undergoing mandatory corrective training, despite failing the bi-annual Instrument Rating-Pilot Proficiency Check (IR-PPC). Regulations require corrective training and a satisfactory recheck before pilots can resume duties. The lapse is being taken very seriously by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is now investigating and has requested a detailed report from Air India.

An airline spokesperson confirmed: “An instance of a first officer operating a flight after an unsatisfactory recurrent training check was detected by the training team. As soon as the error came to our notice, a crew scheduler and the pilot involved were off-rostered. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated, and the incident was reported to the DGCA.”

In a separate case, a senior captain operated a flight with an expired English Language Proficiency (ELP) licence, which is mandatory for exercising pilot privileges. Air India stated the commander was removed from flying duties immediately upon discovery.

These incidents raise concerns about oversight and compliance monitoring at Air India. Just five months earlier, the DGCA had reprimanded the airline following the June 12 Ahmedabad crash, uncovering systemic flaws in crew rostering, licensing, and rest regulations. The regulator warned of strict penalties or even operator suspension for future violations.

The DGCA’s June 20 order cited “repeated and serious violations” voluntarily disclosed by the airline, indicating systemic failures in compliance and internal accountability.


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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com