THE Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a ₹90 lakh (£81,745.29) fine on Air India, owned by the Tata Group, for operating a flight with pilots who lacked the necessary qualifications.
In addition, the aviation regulator has fined Air India's Director of Operations, Pankul Mathur, ₹6 lakh (£5449.69) and the Director of Training, Manish Vasavada, ₹3 lakh (£2724.84) for their roles in the lapse.
According to a DGCA statement, the pilot involved in the incident has been issued a warning to ensure such lapses do not occur again.
The DGCA highlighted that Air India allowed a flight to be operated by a captain who was not a certified trainer, alongside a first officer who had not yet been officially cleared for line duties – an issue the regulator views as a severe safety lapse.
This action followed an investigation triggered by a voluntary report submitted by the airline on July 10.
The DGCA conducted a thorough examination of Air India's operations, including a review of relevant documentation and an inspection of the scheduling process.
The investigation uncovered several regulatory violations that could have compromised flight safety, leading to the imposition of penalties.
"Based on investigation, it was prima facie revealed that there are deficiencies and multiple violations of the regulatory provisions by several post holders and staff, which could significantly affect safety," the release said.
The DGCA also said the flight's commander and the post holders of the airline were provided an opportunity to explain their position through show cause notices issued on July 22.
The reply submitted by the concerned persons failed to provide satisfactory justification. As such, DGCA has initiated enforcement action in terms of provisions of the extant rules/ regulations and imposed the above penalty, the watchdog noted. (PTI)
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)