DGCA pulls up 4 Air India pilots following violations on Delhi-Tokyo flights

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a stern show-cause notice to Air India pilots following serious safety violations on flights operating between Delhi and Tokyo. The notice, dated December 29, 2025, highlights lapses in aircraft dispatch and non-compliance with the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) during the operations of flights AI-357 and AI-358. The regulator has sought an explanation from the cockpit crew for their decision to accept and operate the aircraft despite being aware of its degraded technical systems.

According to the DGCA, serious concerns arose when a smell of smoke was reported near a door on flight AI-358. Investigation revealed that the aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANI), had a history of repetitive snags involving the same systems recorded over five previous sectors. Despite this known history of system degradation and technical warnings like "PACK ACM L" and "Pack Mode" advisories, the pilots proceeded with the flight, allegedly failing to assess the combined safety impact of multiple inoperative systems.

The aviation watchdog pointed out specific instances of non-compliance, including a June 28 incident where the aircraft was dispatched without meeting the required conditions for the lower right recirculation fan. The DGCA stated that the pilots accepted the aircraft "without adequate understanding" of the interdependencies of its faulty systems, which is a direct contravention of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). The pilots have been given 14 days to respond to the show-cause notice and explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against them.