Air India is under increased scrutiny from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) due to repeated safety violations. The airline has been warned about potential enforcement actions for breaches in safety standards, particularly those concerning crew fatigue management and training.

The DGCA's concerns stem from "systemic lapses" within Air India, despite previous warnings and enforcement actions. These lapses include issues related to compliance monitoring, crew planning, and training governance. The regulator has observed a recurrence of violations, indicating a failure to establish and enforce effective control mechanisms within the airline.

The issues came to light after Air India self-reported the problems to the DGCA. These self-disclosures occurred after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which tragically resulted in 260 fatalities.

The DGCA issued four notices criticizing Air India for 29 violations. These include instances of pilots not receiving mandatory rest, insufficient compliance with simulator training requirements, a lack of adequate training for operations at high-altitude airports, and instances of flying international routes with understaffed cabin crews. Such violations could lead to regulatory actions such as fines or the removal of executives from their positions.

Air India has responded to the DGCA's notices by stating that they relate to voluntary disclosures made over the past year. The airline claims to be committed to the safety of its crew and passengers and intends to address the concerns raised by the regulator.

In light of these violations, the DGCA has demanded the removal of three key officials and issued a show-cause notice to Air India for violating crew duty norms. The DGCA highlighted "serious operational lapses" and "systemic failures" within the airline's scheduling team, particularly during the transition from the older ARMS system to the new CAE crew management software. These failures include unauthorized crew pairings and a failure to act against those responsible. Additionally, a show-cause notice was issued for breaching flight duty time limitations on long-haul flights between Bengaluru and London.