The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday imposed a penalty of Rs 1.10 crore on Air India for violation of safety norms leading to a series of flight irregularities.
“Pursuant to the receipt of a voluntary safety report from an airline employee alleging safety violations of flights operated by the Air India on certain long range terrain critical routes, DGCA conducted a comprehensive investigation into the alleged violations,” the DGCA said in a statement.
“Since the investigation prima facie revealed non-compliance by the airline, a show-cause notice was issued to the manager of Air India Limited. The response to the show-cause notice was duly examined with respect to the laid down stipulations under the relevant statutory provisions and the performance limits stipulated in critical documentations laid down by the Original Equipment Manufacturer [OEM],” it added.
Earlier this month, the aviation regulator had issued show-cause notices to the Air India and SpiceJet for not deploying pilots trained to operate in low-visibility conditions, following diversions of various flights amid dense fog at the Delhi airport in late December.
IndiGo was also fined Rs 1.20 crore as the passengers of one of its flights came out on the tarmac and started eating food.
During the last week of December, there were many cases of flight delays due to fog. The regulator was seen vigilant during that time releasing regulations for refunds and cancellations.
The DGCA had issued show-cause notices to the Air India and SpiceJet for not deploying pilots trained to operate in low visibility conditions, following diversions of various flights amid dense fog at the Delhi airport in late December.