Air India has been fined ₹1.10 crore by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operating leased Boeing 777 aircraft on direct, approximately 16-hour flights to and from San Francisco on the west coast of the United States, in violation of safety regulations, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday.
It stated that the action was done in response to a complaint made in October of last year by a former Air India pilot who operated a B777 to the DGCA and the civil aviation ministry. The pilot made note of the Boeing 777's chemically produced oxygen system, which has a 12-minute duration.
He emphasized that the airline's direct flights to and from San Francisco should not utilize this particular aircraft. Three months after bringing up the issue, the pilot said he was fired.
The pilot filed a lawsuit claiming that the oxygen system prevented him from flying a rented Boeing 777 from San Francisco to Bengaluru on January 30, 2017.
Air India fined Rs 1.1 crore by regulator DGCA for safety violation
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The DGCA Guidelines
Citing its investigation, the DGCA declared that it prima facie demonstrated the airline's non-compliance. The responsible manager of Air India was then given a show-cause notice.
According to the DGCA, the airline's answer was reviewed for compliance with regulatory requirements and performance standards outlined in OEM-provided documents. It further stated that the airline was fined ₹1.10 crore since the leased aircraft's operations did not comply with OEM performance standards or regulatory requirements.
Air India failed to respond right away. The airline stated last year that Air India and outside specialists had looked into the multifaceted nature of the issue.
"We will not be commenting on this particular case, but we would like to reaffirm that our top priority is the safety of our passengers and crew, and we will not compromise on that."
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