August 14, 2025

India’s civil aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has raised a red flag over Air India’s flight duty time management! The DGCA has warned Air India’s Accountable Manager and CEO, Campbell Wilson, after the airline’s explanation was found “unsatisfactory” on breach of rules. The drama unfolded with two long-haul flights between Bengaluru and London on 16 and 17 May, which exceeded the strict 10-hour duty limit set by aviation safety laws. These rules exist to keep pilots fresh and passengers safe. But these flights crossed the line, causing DGCA’s serious concern. Campbell Wilson, the Tata Group-owned airline's CEO and Managing Director, also serves as the Accountable Manager. This means he must ensure every flight strictly follows regulations. The DGCA's order on 11 August stated, “...Accountable Manager of M/s Air India Ltd. is hereby warned and advised to exercise utmost diligence and responsibility in ensuring strict compliance with the applicable Civil Aviation requirements.” Ouch! The DGCA had first served a show-cause notice to Air India in June, demanding an explanation within seven days about why the airline should not be penalized for breaching “flight duty time limitations” (FDTL). But after reviewing the reply, the regulator was not impressed. The explanation failed to clear the doubts. Air India tried to put forward a reason, blaming “a different interpretation” of a special permission linked to airspace closure near borders. The airline said this permission was meant to ease problems caused by closures in certain airspace, but the rules were misunderstood. Air India told PTI, “This was corrected immediately after the right interpretation was conveyed to us. Air India remains fully compliant with the rules.” However, recent DGCA data paints a bigger picture. Over the past year, Air India – including the merged Vistara – along with Air India Express, recorded a whopping 93 audit findings. Among these were 19 level-1 violations, which are serious safety risks demanding urgent fixes. Across the board, DGCA’s inspections of eight domestic airlines found 263 safety lapses in the same period. These findings highlight the tough task ahead for Indian airlines to keep the skies safe. Will Air India tighten its safety belt now? The DGCA’s warning is clear – no cutting corners on crew work hours or safety. The passengers deserve nothing less than top-notch safety standards. Stay tuned for more updates from the fast-changing world of Indian aviation!

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: Dgca, Air india, Flight duty time violations, Aviation safety, Campbell wilson,