Two Air India pilots grounded for inviting lady pilot friend in cockpit while operating Delhi-Leh flight

NEW DELHI: Two Air India pilots have been taken off flying duty after they invited a female friend inside the cockpit while operating a Delhi-Leh flight on June 3, 2023.
The female friend is an Indian Air Force pilot but rules prohibit the entry of any non-crew member inside the cockpit and that too while operating a critical high altitude sector like Leh.
Unlike the past few cases, this time the airline promptly reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 4 and both Air India and the regulator have completed their probes.
The show cause notices will now be issued by the regulator to the two pilots.
"Air India has a Just Culture approach to all safety related events and has a zero tolerance for deliberate breaches of regulations. Such breaches are dealt with on a serious basis and sanctions will be imposed on those who are in breach of the regulations," said an Air India spokesperson.

This is the second time in just over three months that Air India pilots are facing the heat for inviting a female friend into the flight deck while operating a flight.
On February 27, 2023, the pilots had invited a friend into the cockpit while operating a Dubai-Delhi flight. After a probe, the DGCA had suspended their flying licences for three months and fined Air India Rs 30 lakh for not taking prompt action.
The regulator had also directed the airline to take “administrative action” against the friend-passenger who was travelling as staff on duty (SOD), including “removing her from any managerial functions in the organisation for a specified period.”
In last week’s violation, however, AI “promptly had reported the matter to the regulator the very next day,” say senior officials.
“There are rules that prohibit entry of non crew members into the cockpit. In this case the pilots were operating to the high altitude airfield critical of Leh. They should have been even more careful. Show cause notices are being issued to both of them,” say people in the know.
AI’s promptness comes as the airline has been fined Rs 70 lakh by DGCA in three separate instances in the past few months.
These include Rs 10 lakh for not reporting the lady friend in cockpit of Dubai-Delhi flight.
Rs 30 lakh fine for not reporting a November 26, 2022, incident where a male flyer relieved himself on a female passenger in business class onboard AI-102 New York-Delhi flight.
And Rs 10 lakh for not reporting a December 6, 2022, incident onboard AI-142 Paris-Delhi flight where a flyer relieved himself on a vacant seat and blanket of a fellow female passenger when she had gone to the lav.