The Directorate Common of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India ₹1.10 crore for violating security norms by working leased Boeing 777 plane for direct flights of round 16 hours to and from San Francisco on the west coast of america, the regulator mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.
It mentioned the motion was taken after a former Air India pilot, who flew B777, complained about it to the civil aviation ministry and the DGCA in October final yr. The pilot identified Boeing 777 plane carries a chemically generated oxygen system, which lasts round 12 minutes.
He highlighted the plane shouldn’t be used for the airline’s direct flights to and from San Francisco. The pilot claimed he was sacked three months after he raised the matter.
In his criticism, the pilot mentioned he refused to function a leased Boeing 777 plane from San Francisco to Bengaluru on January 30 final yr because of the oxygen system.
The DGCA cited an investigation and mentioned it prima facie confirmed the airline’s non-compliance. Air India’s accountable supervisor was issued a show-cause discover subsequently.
The DGCA mentioned the airline’s response was examined for the stipulations below the statutory provisions and the efficiency limits in documentation laid down by the unique tools producer (OEM). It added the operations of the leased plane weren’t consistent with regulatory/OEM efficiency limits and therefore ₹1.10 crore high-quality was slapped on the airline.
There was no speedy response from Air India. The airline final yr mentioned the matter was multi-dimensional and that Air India and exterior specialists have examined it. “We’ll chorus from providing any touch upon this particular case however we want to reiterate that the security of our passengers and crew is our foremost precedence and there’s no compromise on the identical.”
