DGCA suspends licence of Air India pilot for 1 year for allowing female friend into cockpit

The latest incident comes just a month after the airline grounded another pilot for inviting a female friend into the cockpit of a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27. Representative image

The Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 22 suspended the licence of an Air India pilot for one year, for allowing female friend into the cockpit of a Chandigarh-Leh flight on June 3. "The pilot Licence of the PIC has been suspended for a period of one year for misuse of his authority vested under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and allowing violation of the applicable DGCA regulations," DGCA noted.

The aviation regulator also suspended the First Officer of Air India flight AI-458 for one month for not being assertive in preventing and non-reporting of the violation.

Air India had de-rostered two pilots on June 13 regarding the incident. The airline's management initiated action against the pilot and the co-pilot soon after receiving a complaint from the cabin crew.

The latest incident comes just a month after the airline grounded another pilot for inviting a female friend into the cockpit of a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27. The pilot's licence was suspended for three months by the DGCA and a Rs 30-lakh fine was imposed on Air India for not taking prompt action on the 'safety-sensitive' issue.

The Leh route is one of the most difficult and sensitive air routes in the country in terms of safety and security, and allowing an unauthorised person in the cockpit of a commercial aircraft amounts to violation of the law.