In the wake of the devastating Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 270 lives, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken swift and serious action, ordering the removal of three senior officials from all duties related to crew scheduling and rostering, citing potential operational failures.
The probe, now widening in scope, is focusing on systemic lapses that may have led to the crash of the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which went down on June 12 shortly after takeoff, slamming into the BJ Medical College hostel complex. Among the deceased were 241 people on board, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, along with several casualties on the ground.
According to sources, the three removed officials were directly responsible for crew duty planning, a critical aspect of flight safety that ensures pilots adhere to rest and duty regulations. The move underscores the aviation regulator's resolve to impose accountability in the aftermath of one of India’s worst aviation tragedies.
In a related development, the DGCA has served a show-cause notice to the airline's Accountable Manager. A surprise audit revealed that the manager operated two consecutive long-haul flights from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17, both exceeding the 10-hour permissible duty limit, a clear violation of safety norms.
“Such violations of flight duty time limitations pose direct risks to passenger safety,” said a senior DGCA official.
The manager has been given seven days to respond, failing which enforcement action will be initiated. Meanwhile, internal disciplinary proceedings have also been ordered against all concerned staff, and the outcomes must be reported to the DGCA within 10 days.
As investigations continue, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel confirmed progress in identifying the victims. DNA matching has so far confirmed 220 samples, and remains of 202 victims have been handed over to families. The deceased include 160 Indian nationals, 34 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian citizen.
