The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the aviation safety regulator, has ordered Air India to remove its three officials, including a divisional vice president, from all roles and responsibilities related to crew scheduling and rostering.
The DGCA, in its order on June 20, also asked the Tata Group-owned Air India to initiate internal disciplinary proceedings against these officials without delay.
The aviation regulator said it has identified three officials as directly accountable: Choorah Singh, divisional vice president; Pinky Mittal, chief manager – in directorate of operations, crew scheduling; and Payal Arora, crew scheduling – planning.
Air India, in a statement, said it has acknowledged the regulator's directive and implemented the order.
“In the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Air India is committed to ensuring that there is total adherence to safety protocols and standard practices,” the airline said in its statement on Saturday.
The latest direction from the DGCA has come at a time when the airline has been under strict scrutiny in the aftermath of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash last week.
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