The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Air India to immediately remove three senior officials from all the roles related to crew scheduling and roostering on 21 June 2025. According to a report by News18, the action was recently taken by Air India flight in Ahmedabad after the AI-171 crashed, killing 241 passengers. The DGCA also ordered immediate internal disciplinary proceedings against these officials.
The DGCA order of June 20 stated that these officers, including a Divisional Vice President, are accused of “systemic failure” in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring and internal accountability. The move has been taken in view of the recent security rays and the ongoing investigation into the Ahmedabad accident, which included the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
After the flight AI-171 crashed from Ahmedabad to London on June 12, DGCA ordered an intensive security check of Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 fleet. In addition, the Report of the Parliamentary Committee of March 2025 raised the matter of huge shortage of employees in DGCA, BCAS and AAI and lapse in safety standards, which was also revealed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Two former crew members claimed that they had complained to the technical flaws of Boeing 787 in 2024, but DGCA did not take it seriously. He says that if these warnings were noted, then this incident could have been avoided.
Air India said it is following DGCA’s instructions and completing the Boeing 787 fleet investigation.