The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has conducted an inspection of Air India’s office, revealing a shocking lack of oversight and safety measures. The inspection found that there is currently no chief pilot assigned to oversee the operations and safety of the Boeing 787 fleet. This comes just days after one of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, flight AI-171, crashed into a building just seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The tragic incident resulted in over 250 casualties, with only one passenger, a British national, miraculously surviving.
The DGCA inspection also found that the Air India Training Organisation (ATO) lacks key personnel, including an Accountable Manager, Head of Training, and a Quality Manager. Additionally, the aviation watchdog flagged concerns regarding poor simulator maintenance. A comprehensive audit of Air India’s flight operations has been completed, and a detailed report has been submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The crash of flight AI-171 occurred on June 12, just seconds after takeoff, when the plane failed to gain altitude and crashed into a medical hostel building. The impact and subsequent fire caused a massive explosion, resulting in one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers who lost their lives in the incident.
The black box of the ill-fated flight has been recovered and sent to a neutral center abroad for decoding to determine the cause of the crash. The DGCA’s findings have raised serious concerns about Air India’s safety protocols and oversight. The lack of a chief pilot and key personnel in the training organization, combined with poor simulator maintenance, suggests a systematic failure in Air India’s safety management. The incident has sparked a thorough investigation, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation is expected to take swift action to address the concerns raised by the DGCA. The incident is a stark reminder of the importance of strict safety protocols and oversight in the aviation industry.