DGCA suspends Air India's Chief of flight safety over lapses in accident prevention

• Air India's Chief of Flight Safety has been suspended for one month by the DGCA due to lapses in accident prevention measures
• The DGCA conducted a surveillance inspection of Air India in July, focusing on internal audit, accident prevention, and technical personnel availability
• Deficiencies were identified in the airline's accident prevention efforts, technical personnel, and the manner in which internal audits were conducted

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken action against Air India's Chief of Flight Safety, suspending the official for a duration of one month. The decision follows a DGCA team's surveillance of Air India, which took place on July 25 and 26. During this inspection, the DGCA focused on areas such as internal audit, accident prevention works, and the availability of necessary technical personnel, all in accordance with flight safety protocols and civil aviation requirements.

The DGCA's findings highlighted several deficiencies in Air India's accident prevention efforts and the availability of essential technical personnel. Additionally, it was noted that some of the airline's claimed internal audits and spot checks were conducted in a cursory manner and did not align with regulatory requirements.

The aviation regulator has directed Air India not to assign any audits, surveillance, or spot checks pertaining to compliance of DGCA to the particular auditor, whose inspections indicate a lack of diligence, it said.