More than 100 Air India pilots took sick leave 4 days after Ahmedabad crash: Govt

India's civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu informed the Parliament on July 24 that 112 pilots of Air India took sick leave four days after the ill-fated Boeing Dreamliner aircraft bound for London crashed in Ahmedabad.

The minister said that out of the total pilots who asked for leave on June 16, 61 were senior pilots and the rest 51 were flight officers. He said the requests puts spotlight on the need to manage the pilots' mental health, especially after major accidents such as in Ahmedabad, adding that the airlines have been advised to create support groups

Meanwhile, earlier during the day, the Tata-owned airline was warned by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it could face enforcement action for breaching safety standards related to crew fatigue management and training, government notices to the airline seen by Reuters showed.

The airline self-reported the problems, which occurred this year and last year, to DGCA last month, just days after one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners crashed in Ahmedabad city, killing 260 people.

Four government notices, dated July 23, criticised Air India for repeated failures in safety compliance and follow many other warnings in the past. Potential regulatory action could include fines or ordering that executives be removed from their jobs.