Air India Faces Rs 1.10 Crore Penalty from DGCA for Safety Violations

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has levied a penalty of Rs 1.10 crore on Air India for safety breaches in the midst of a series of incidents involving flight irregularities. The safety infractions occurred on specific long-range and terrain-critical routes, as highlighted by the DGCA. The specific details of the penalty and the incident leading to the imposition of the fine are yet to be disclosed by the regulatory authority.

In a recent occurrence, IndiGo faced a penalty of Rs 1.20 crore after passengers from one of its flights disembarked onto the tarmac to consume food. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia strongly condemned the incident, deeming it unacceptable.

Earlier this month, DGCA issued show cause notices to both Air India and SpiceJet for their failure to deploy pilots trained to operate in low visibility conditions. This action was prompted by the diversions of several flights at the Delhi airport in late December due to dense fog. Between December 25 and 28 of the preceding year, flight operations at the Delhi airport experienced significant disruptions, leading to the diversion of nearly 60 flights operated by various airlines.