DGCA issues four show cause notices to Air India over safety and crew norm violations

India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued four show cause notices to Air India following the airline’s voluntary disclosure of 25 violations related to safety, cabin crew training, and operational procedures. The notices were sent on July 24, and the airline has been given two weeks to respond.

The violations pertain to breaches of crew duty time limitations, inadequate rest periods, and lapses in cabin crew training procedures. Specific incidents cited include operational irregularities on June 24, 2024, and June 15, 2025, as well as previously undisclosed issues from flights in December 2024, April 2024, and May 2025.

Air India, which is currently under enhanced DGCA surveillance following the deadly June 12 crash of Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, said in a statement that it remains committed to safety and will respond to the notices within the stipulated period. The airline has come under further scrutiny amid a series of incidents, including a runway overrun in Kochi, an aborted takeoff in Kolkata, and an engine fire in Delhi.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also begun holding direct consultations with Air India’s top management to enforce safety accountability. Investigations into the June crash point to improperly set fuel control switches during takeoff as a key factor behind the tragedy that claimed 260 lives.