In the wake of the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which has so far claimed the lives of 274 people, including 241 passengers and 33 students and doctors from a nearby medical college, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken strict action against three senior Air India officials. The crash, reportedly caused by a technical fault, has reignited serious concerns about aircraft safety and operational oversight in Indian aviation.
The DGCA has suspended three key officials—all of whom held critical roles in crew duty scheduling and operations—for alleged negligence that contributed to the tragic incident. Those suspended include:
Chura Singh, Divisional Vice President
Payal Arora, In charge of Crew Scheduling and Planning
Pinky Mittal, Chief Manager of Crew Scheduling
Despite their extensive experience, including 27 years of service in the aviation sector by Pinky Mittal, the officials were found guilty of serious lapses in crew duty management and rostering, which violated safety norms.
According to the DGCA report, the pilot and crew rosters were prepared without appropriate permissions and ignored mandatory rest periods required between flight duties. These schedules were finalized under the supervision of Pinky Mittal, who had been previously recognized with awards such as the ‘IMPACCT Champion’ and ‘Pathdarshak’ for her performance. Ironically, the very day the crash occurred, the crew pairing and scheduling were done under her leadership in clear violation of aviation safety norms.
Sources indicate that:
Crew members were not given adequate rest before takeoff.
License and rest-hour standards were ignored.
There were previous instances of scheduling errors committed by Mittal, which had already raised internal concerns.
In view of these unforgivable lapses, the DGCA has not only suspended the three officials but also initiated a deeper investigation into Air India's internal safety practices. “Years of experience cannot be an excuse for systemic negligence, especially when lives are at stake,” a senior DGCA official said.
The crash has left the nation in grief, with many questioning the state of aviation oversight and regulatory compliance. The families of victims, aviation experts, and civil society groups have all called for urgent reforms to ensure such tragedies are never repeated.