The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has fined Air India INR 90 lakh (US$108,000) for operating a flight with unqualified crew.
The regulator also imposed separate fines on the airline’s operations manager and training manager.
It was said that the flight was piloted by a “line captain who was not authorized to train, in cooperation with a first officer who was not authorized to pilot a line.”
According to the DGCA, this was a serious error in personnel planning that could have had “significant safety implications.”
After the airline discovered the error in July, it reported it itself. It then checked the flight planning department.
“The investigations have revealed deficiencies and multiple breaches of regulatory requirements by several job holders and employees,” the regulator said.