India Responds To Dgca Show Cause Notice After Air India Flight Time Violations And Regulatory Lapses On International Routes

Published on August 14, 2025

India’s DGCA has issued a informing to Air India pursuing breaches of formation clip regulations connected 2 long-haul flights earlier this year. The violations occurred erstwhile some flights from Bangalore to London exceeded nan maximum allowable formation time, raising concerns astir operational safety. The DGCA emphasized nan request for strict adherence to aviation information standards to guarantee rider well-being and forestall operational lapses, urging nan hose to return contiguous corrective actions.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) precocious warned Air India astir imaginable violations of formation clip regulations concerning 2 long-haul flights earlier this year. This informing underscores nan regulator’s accent connected nan value of adhering to aviation information standards and maintaining a precocious level of attraction successful hose operations, particularly successful long-distance travel. With Air India expanding its world operations, nan DGCA has placed accrued scrutiny connected nan airline’s expertise to comply pinch these information measures.

On May 16 and 17, 2025, Air India operated 2 flights betwixt Bangalore and London (AI133). These flights exceeded nan 10-hour formation clip limit established by nan Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 7, Series J, Part III, which regulates nan maximum permissible formation clip for pilots. Both flights surpassed nan required clip frame, which is intended to guarantee aviator remainder and rider safety. The DGCA pointed retired that specified violations could perchance endanger nan information of passengers and formation crews.

Furthermore, nan DGCA identified that Air India’s Accountable Manager did not meet nan operational requirements group retired successful Annexure III of nan CARs. This conception of nan regulations outlines nan roles and responsibilities of hose guidance successful maintaining safe operations, including due oversight of formation operations and compliance pinch information standards. The DGCA’s interest complete this lapse highlights nan value of operational accountability astatine each levels wrong an airline.

In consequence to these regulatory breaches, nan DGCA issued a Show Cause Notice to Air India connected June 20 nether nan Enforcement Policy and Procedures Manual (EPPM). This archive lays retired nan procedures for addressing non-compliance pinch aviation regulations. Following nan reappraisal of Air India’s consequence to nan notice, nan DGCA wished that nan airline’s mentation was unsatisfactory successful addressing nan regulatory lapses and shortcomings. The DGCA emphasized that nan hose must adopt a much stringent attack to compliance, underscoring that nan guidance of Air India must “exercise nan utmost diligence and responsibility” to guarantee afloat adherence to aviation laws and operational safety.

Air India responded by explaining that nan violations were owed to a “misinterpretation of a support granted to alleviate airspace closures caused by border-related issues.” The hose asserted that nan problem had been swiftly rectified erstwhile nan correct mentation of nan support was communicated to its operations team. In its charismatic statement, Air India reiterated that it is afloat aligned pinch each aviation regulations and that nan rumor was an isolated incident caused by an incorrect reference of nan rules.

While this mentation clarifies nan airline’s position connected nan matter, manufacture experts statement that specified warnings are not uncommon successful nan aviation industry. However, they service arsenic important reminders of nan captious request for strict compliance pinch operational procedures. This is peculiarly important for long-haul world flights, wherever aviator fatigue becomes a greater interest owed to extended formation times. Fatigue tin impair a pilot’s performance, expanding nan consequence of operational errors. Ensuring that formation times do not transcend regulatory limits is basal to preventing these risks and safeguarding rider safety.

The DGCA’s informing besides highlights nan broader rumor of information guidance wrong nan hose industry. Long-haul flights, particularly those crossing aggregate clip zones, require observant readying and coordination to guarantee that pilots are not overworked and that information protocols are consistently followed. The DGCA’s determination to rumor nan Show Cause Notice reflects a broader inclination successful nan aviation assemblage wherever regulators are progressively focused connected ensuring that airlines adhere to regulations that safeguard some passengers and crews.

With Air India continuing to grow its world web and summation its world presence, aviation regulators are apt to support adjacent oversight of nan airline’s operations. The DGCA will astir apt proceed to scrutinize nan airline’s compliance pinch formation information standards to debar immoderate early lapses and guarantee that passengers person nan highest level of information during their journeys. As nan hose manufacture grows and nan request for world recreation rises, regulators will undoubtedly prioritize operational information to debar incidents that could jeopardize nationalist spot successful aerial travel.

As Air India moves forward, it is clear that nan hose must return proactive steps to amended its soul processes and guarantee that it meets each regulatory requirements without fail. The airline’s guidance must prioritize information and compliance, particularly arsenic it expands its way web and handles an expanding measurement of flights. By adhering strictly to aviation information standards and regulations, Air India tin support its estimation arsenic a reliable and safe airline, fostering spot pinch passengers and regulatory bodies alike.

India’s DGCA has warned Air India aft 2 long-haul flights exceeded nan maximum allowable formation time, highlighting concerns complete information and emphasizing nan request for strict regulatory compliance.

In conclusion, nan DGCA’s informing to Air India serves arsenic a important reminder of nan value of formation information regulations, peculiarly successful long-haul world operations. The hose manufacture must proceed to prioritize operational oversight, particularly regarding formation clip limitations, to guarantee that pilots are well-rested, fatigue is minimized, and rider information remains nan apical priority. As world recreation continues to grow, truthful excessively must nan committedness to maintaining precocious information standards crossed nan aviation industry.