New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has fined Air India Express Rs 10 lakh for failing to compensate passengers for cancelled flights.
As part of its Annual Surveillance Programme 2024 for scheduled domestic airlines, the DGCA conducted an inspection in June to assess compliance with passenger facilities and compensation norms.
During this inspection, the DGCA found that Air India Express was not adhering to the regulations outlined in CAR Section-3, Series M, Part IV.
Following this, a show-cause notice was issued to Air India Express.
The DGCA noted that the airline’s response confirmed non-compliance with the compensation provisions for passengers affected by flight cancellations. As a result, a Rs 10 lakh fine was imposed on the airline.
Recently, the DGCA also imposed a Rs 90 lakh fine on Tata Group-owned Air India Limited for operating a flight with unqualified crew members. Additional fines of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh were levied on Air India’s Director of Operations and Director of Training, respectively. The pilot involved was also warned to prevent future incidents.
The DGCA’s action followed a voluntary report from Air India, which revealed a scheduling error that led to a trainee pilot operating a Mumbai-Riyadh flight without a supervising training captain. The incident triggered a comprehensive investigation into Air India’s operations, including document reviews and spot checks of the airline’s scheduling practices.
