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Tag: Pilotincommand

  • ‘Pee-gate’: DGCA urged to withdraw suspension of pilot-in-command

    ‘Pee-gate’: DGCA urged to withdraw suspension of pilot-in-command

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    Delhi: Air India Joint Action Forum – a group of six unions, on Tuesday appealed to aviation regulator DGCA to withdraw the suspension of the pilot-in-command of an Air India flight in connection with the urination incident that occurred on November 26 last year.

    In a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the forum said that the due process of investigation has not been followed and vital steps in the investigation and enforcement have been skipped.

    The unions have appealed to the DGCA to withdraw the harsh punishment and suspension of the pilot-in-command.

    The forum represents six unions — Indian Pilots Guild, Indian Commercial Pilots Association, Air Corporation Employees Union, Air India Employees Union, All India Cabin Crew Association and Airline Pilots Association of India.

    The letter written on Tuesday has also been marked to the Civil Aviation Minister, Aviation Secretary, CEO and COO of Air India.

    Earlier, on Tuesday, Air India said it had closed the internal probe into the case and will also assist the flight’s pilot-in-command with an appeal against the suspension of his licence.

    According to the letter, the entire crew comes under the judicial and operational control of the pilot-in-command.

    “It is in this light that the pilot-in-command signed all reports and then directed the cabin supervisor to forward all reports to the company and its senior officers instantly upon landing to discuss the next step with the company, which was done and verified. Given the actual facts and non-existence of any eyewitnesses, it was decided by the pilot-in-command in consultation with his crew, that the passenger in seat 8C (Shankar) Mishra was not unruly, and could not be classified as unruly,” said the letter.

    DGCA on January 20 imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the license of the pilot-in-command for three months in the incident which occurred on November 26, 2022.

    Moreover, the regulator also imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on the director of in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge duties.

    Earlier, on Monday, All India Cabin Crew Association said that the derostered Air India crew in connection with the Air India urination case should be rostered back on flights, terming the action against the pilot-in-command an unusually harsh punishment.

    In a letter issued on Monday, the cabin crew body also termed the findings of an internal committee in the Air India urination case “flawed”.

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    #Peegate #DGCA #urged #withdraw #suspension #pilotincommand

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Air India ‘pee-gate’: ‘Pilot-in-command has been made scapegoat’

    Air India ‘pee-gate’: ‘Pilot-in-command has been made scapegoat’

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    New Delhi: Majority of pilots feel that the DGCA action on the pilot-in-command (PIC) of the Air India aircraft, in which a man urinated on a fellow woman passenger on-board, was not necessary.

    Noting the fact that the PIC had informed the senior management of the airline about the urination incident on November 26, 2022 soon after it happened, sources claimed that pilots’ body – Indian Pilots’ Guild may take legal recourse or choose other options following action by the aviation regulator DGCA in which the licence of the PIC of the flight was suspended for three months.

    Sources claimed that the action of the regulator on the PIC has not gone down well with most of the pilots and they are mulling on options against this.

    A senior pilot claimed that the PIC concerned had acted very maturely and timely in the case.

    “The matter was reported to the senior management of the company at that time. We believe that he has been punished unnecessarily in this matter,” he added.

    Email exchanges have disclosed that Air India’s senior management was made aware of the incident two hours after it took place.

    As per reports, Air India CEO, Campbell Wilson also received an e-mail from the woman passenger’s son-in-law on the same evening, and forwarded the mail to the head of customer care, asking that it be attended to.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the license of pilot-in-command for three months in the Air India urination case.

    Moreover, the regulator also imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on Director-in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge duties.

    The incident of passenger misbehaviour which occurred on AI-102 flight on November 26, 2022 from New York to New Delhi, came to the notice of DGCA on January 4, 2023 wherein a male passenger conducted himself in a disorderly manner and allegedly relieved himself on a female passenger, said a senior DGCA official.

    DGCA had earlier issued showcause notice to Accountable Manager of Air India, director in-flight services of Air India, all the pilots and cabin crew members of that flight as to why enforcement action should not be taken against them for dereliction of their regulatory obligations.

    DGCA received the written reply of Air India and the personnel involved and were examined.

    Accordingly, enforcement actions have been taken in the instant case.

    “Financial penalty of Rs 30,00,000 has been imposed on Air India for violation of applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements. License of Pilot-In-Command of the said flight has been suspended for a period of three months for failing to discharge his duties as per Rule 141 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937 and applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements. And, a financial penalty of Rs 3,00,000 has been imposed on Director-in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge her duties as per applicable DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements,” said the regulator on Friday.

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    #Air #India #peegate #Pilotincommand #scapegoat

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )