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Air India Crew Faces DGCA Show-Cause Notice Over Safety Lapses on Tokyo Flights

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued a show-cause notice to Air India cockpit crew for operating multiple Delhi-Tokyo flights despite known safety and compliance issues. The regulator cited incompatible Minimum Equipment List requirements and noted this wasn't an isolated occurrence, with similar issues detected on other sectors previously. This action follows recent incidents including an engine shutdown on a Delhi-Mumbai flight that forced an air turnback. The DGCA has given the crew two weeks to respond and explain why regulatory action shouldn't be initiated against them.

Key Points: DGCA Issues Notice to Air India Crew Over Safety Violations

  • Show-cause notice issued
  • MEL incompatibility cited
  • Not an isolated incident
  • Past technical snags flagged
2 min read

Aviation regulator issues notice to Air India crew over safety issues

India's aviation regulator issues show-cause notice to Air India crew for operating flights with known safety lapses on Delhi-Tokyo routes.

"The Minimum Equipment List (MEL) applicable to the aircraft was incompatible - DGCA Notice"

New Delhi, Jan 1

India's aviation regulator has issued a show-cause notice to Air India cockpit crew for operating multiple flights between Delhi and Tokyo despite being aware of safety and compliance lapses., seeking a response to the notice in two weeks.

The notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pertains to operations of flight AI-357 from Delhi to Tokyo and AI-358 from Tokyo to Delhi.

"The Minimum Equipment List (MEL) applicable to the aircraft was incompatible," according to the DGCA notice.

Air India was yet to reply to the DGCA notice. The notice stated that this was not an isolated incident and that similar issues had been detected on other sectors in the past.

The DGCA has also asked the pilots to explain why action should not be initiated against them under the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR).

The aviation regulator issued the notice to Air India for operating a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner despite repetitive technical snags.

Last month, following an engine shutdown on Air India's Delhi-Mumbai flight, the DGCA said it will probe the incident. The Mumbai-bound Air India B777-300ER aircraft returned to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely at Delhi.

"The AIC 887 (Delhi-Mumbai) was involved in Airturnback as during flap retraction after take-off, the flight crew observed low engine oil pressure on Engine No. 2 (Right-Hand engine)," the regulator said.

Soon after the take-off, the engine oil pressure dropped to zero. Following the procedure, the crew shutdown the No. 2 engine and the aircraft landed safely at Delhi, it added.

The DGCA noted that "the inspection/rectification is in progress".

"The incident would be investigated by the Permanent Investigation Board of the Airline under the supervision of Director Air Safety (NR), DGCA", it added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Flying to Tokyo is a long-haul, over-water flight. Operating with known MEL issues is absolutely reckless. Thank God for the DGCA's vigilance. The crew's explanation better be solid.
A
Aman W
While safety is paramount, I hope this is a procedural issue and not a case of cutting corners. Air India has improved a lot since the Tata takeover. Let's wait for their response before jumping to conclusions.
S
Sarah B
The article mentions this is not an isolated incident. That's the most worrying part. Is there a systemic culture problem? DGCA needs to audit their safety management systems thoroughly.
V
Vikram M
As a frequent flyer, this shakes my confidence. The Delhi-Mumbai turnback last month and now this? We need transparency. What were the exact "incompatible" MEL items? Passengers have a right to know what risks were taken.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, I think we should also consider the pressure on crews. Sometimes management pushes for on-time performance over everything. The notice is to the crew, but where is the notice to the airline's operations management? The root cause might be higher up.
N
Nisha Z
This is serious yaar. Flying is already stressful for many. News like this

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