By Shafali Nigam

New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): An audit conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has flagged 51 safety deficiencies in Air India's operations, raising concerns over compliance with regulatory protocols and operational safety standards.

The findings are part of a government report accessed by ANI, based on a comprehensive inspection carried out between July 1st and 3rd at Air India's main base.

The internal surveillance report, led by a 10-member DGCA inspection team, highlights critical failures across various domains, from flight dispatch, crew rostering, and simulator training to digital record keeping and cabin crew procedures.

The major lapses identified as per the reports include flight crew and simulator irregularities, excessive flight duty periods, and unqualified simulator use for training.

The report further stated that B787 pilots operated flights despite undergoing invalid recurrent simulator checks. Simulators did not meet the regulatory 2-hour session requirement, a breach that led to pilots flying without DGCA re-approval. A B787 flight (AI-138 from Milan to Delhi) exceeded its Flight Duty Period (FDP) by 2 hours and 18 minutes, a direct violation of civil aviation rules.

The findings also state that multiple ultra-long-haul (ULR) flights (AI-126, 190, 188, 191) operated without the minimum mandated number of cabin crew, in violation of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) pertaining to Flight Crew Standards, training, and licensing.

The accessed report further mentioned that Air India reportedly used non-qualified simulators for Category C airport training, known for their challenging approach conditions, violating safety training protocols.

On the digital and documentation gaps, the report reveals that widespread discrepancies were found in the BOTMIN system, the airline's digital crew record-keeping platform, with missing pilot documents, inaccurate flying hour records, and unindexed training folders.

It further mentioned the additional safety and organisational concerns, including operational manual irregularities, lapses in training oversight. The organisational chart did not reflect DGCA-mandated post-holders. Positions like Chief Pilot (A320, A350) were unassigned, and key roles like the Head of IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Centre) lacked clarity in designation and qualification and several inconsistencies were noted in the airline's manuals, including outdated Search and Rescue procedures, missing HUD recency documentation, and improper fuel planning on EDTO (Extended Diversion Time Operations) routes.

The report further stated that DGCA also flagged incomplete records for B777/B787 pilots' recurrent training, missing approvals for Computer-Based Training (CBT), and outdated classroom capacities and safety equipment in the training center.

The DGCA has categorised the findings into Level I and Level II violations, with Level I being the most severe. Air India has been instructed to submit corrective action reports by July 30 for Level I issues and by August 23 for Level II findings.

The detailed deficiency report calls into question the effectiveness of these reforms and indicates deeper systemic issues.

Air India, in response, told ANI, 'All airlines undergo regular audits to test and continuously strengthen processes. Air India's annual DGCA audit took place in July, during which it was fully transparent with auditors in the spirit of such continuous improvement. We acknowledge receipt of the findings and will submit our response to the regulator within the stipulated time frame, along with the details of the corrective actions taken. Air India remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of its passengers and staff.' (ANI)