The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India ₹80 lakh for violating rules related to pilot duty hours. The fine was imposed following a spot audit of the airline in January.

The audit revealed that the airline had rostered two pilots of over 60 years for certain flights, which is a violation of existing rules. The airline was also found deficient in providing adequate weekly rest, adequate rest before & after ultra-long haul flights, and adequate rest on layovers to flight crew. It also showed instances of crew exceeding permissible duty periods, and wrongly marked training records, among others.

A show cause notice was issued to Air India on March 1 and the fine was imposed as its response was not satisfactory, DGCA said.

“DGCA is committed to maintaining the highest levels of safety in the civil aviation sector in India and this enforcement action is in line with its commitment,” it added.

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