DGCA Imposes Rs 10 Lakh Penalty On Air India For Failing To Comply With Aviation Norms

The aviation regulator issued a statement and informed that the Tata Group-controlled Air India failed to comply with the rules regarding the facilities mandated to be provided for the passengers. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) levied a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India stating that the airline failed to comply with the regulations. The aviation regulator issued a statement and informed that the Tata Group-controlled Air India failed to comply with the rules regarding the facilities mandated to be provided for the passengers. 

The regulator in its statement said that it conducted inspections at Delhi, Kochi, and Bengaluru airports and found that Air India was not adhering to the provisions of the relevant Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), reported PTI. As such, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to the airline earlier this month on November 3. 

In its release issued on Wednesday, the DGCA stated that on the basis of Air India’s reply to the show-cause notice, the authority found that the airline didn’t comply with the norms of the CAR. These violations included not providing hotel accommodation for passengers affected by delayed flights, non-training of certain ground personnel according to the regulations, and non-payment of compensation to international business class passengers who were forced to travel on unserviceable seats, the regulator informed. 

As such, for these lapses, the DGCA imposed a financial penalty of Rs 10 lakh on the airline. The regulator further stated that it considers it crucial to regularly boost the rights of the passengers and make sure that the airlines work under harmonised conditions, keeping in line with the best global standards.

The aviation industry regulator noted that it has been conducting regular inspections of scheduled domestic airlines at several major airports since May 2023, to ensure compliance with passenger-centric CAR, as reported by Business Today.

Notably, earlier this month, Air India announced that it will add 30 aircraft and 4 new international destinations to its winter schedule. Further, Air India Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) Campbell Wilson said in October that the Air India Group will take delivery of one new aircraft every six days on average till the end of 2024. The Group, comprising Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect, and Vistara, is in the process of consolidating its airline business.