Air India’s chief of flight safety Rajeev Gupta was suspended for a month after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found lapses in accident prevention protocols during a surveillance operation carried out in July.
DGCA’s surveillance carried out over two days, July 25 and 26, scrutinised key aspects including internal audits, accident prevention efforts, and the availability of essential technical manpower. The findings raised significant concerns about Air India’s adherence to safety protocols.
One of the major concerns identified was the inadequacy of the airline’s accident prevention measures.
The DGCA noted AI fell short of ensuring comprehensive accident prevention work, pivotal in safeguarding passengers.
Another alarming discovery was the shortage of the required technical manpower, vital to safety standards. Air India was found to be lacking in the number of technical personnel needed as specified in the approved Flight Safety Manual and relevant Civil Aviation Requirements.
“(We) found deficiencies in AI’s accident prevention work and (in) the availability of requisite technical manpower as required in the approved Flight Safety Manual and the relevant Civil Aviation Requirements (rules),” the regulator said.
