News Analysis India

Tag: Air India

  • Accused who urinated on Air India woman flyer ‘begged to not file complaint as he has a family’: FIR

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The man who allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger on an Air India flight in November had apologised to the victim and begged her to not lodge a complaint, saying he did not wish his wife and child to be affected by the incident.

    Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the accused based on the victim’s complaint to Air India.

    The victim alleged that despite her willingness, she was forced to confront the accused and negotiate with him, further disorientating her, according to the FIR.

    Shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off on board AI 102 of November 26, the inebriated male passenger seated in Business Class seat 8A walked to the elderly woman’s seat, unzipped his pants and urinated on her, the FIR stated.

    He kept standing there until the person sitting next to the woman told him to go back, at which point he staggered back to his seat.

    “I immediately got up to notify the stewardess of what had happened. My clothes, shoes and bag were soaked in urine. The bag contained my passport, travel documents and currency. The flight staff refused to touch them, sprayed my bag and shoes with disinfectant, and took me to the bathroom and gave me a set of airline pyjamas and socks. I asked the staff for a change of seat but was told that no other seats were available. However, another business class passenger who had witnessed my plight and was advocating for me pointed out that there were seats available in first class,” the victim was quoted as saying in the FIR.

    ALSO READ | 30-day flying ban on man who urinated on fellow traveller on Air India flight

    After standing for 20 minutes, the victim was offered a small seat used by airline staff where she sat for about two hours. She was then asked to return to her own seat. When she refused, the victim was offered the steward’s seat for the rest of the journey, the FIR stated.

    Later, the flight staff informed the victim that the offender wanted to apologise to her. In response, she said that she did not wish to interact with him or see his face and wanted him to be arrested on arrival.

    ALSO READ | Another mid-air peeing incident: Man urinated on woman’s blanket of Air India flight

    “However, the crew brought the offender before me against my wishes and we were made to sit opposite each other in the crew seats. I was stunned when he started crying and profusely apologising to me, begging me not to lodge a complaint against him because he is a family man and did not want his wife and child to be affected by this incident. In my already distraught state, I was further disoriented by being made to confront and negotiate with the perpetrator of the horrific incident in close quarters,” the FIR stated.

    A lookout circular has been issued against the accused to prevent him from fleeing the country, the police said, adding that efforts were being taken to nab him.

    ALSO READ | Man urinating on co-passenger: Air India gives DGCA its reason for not reporting incident

    Based on the victim’s complaint, a case was registered under sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under Aircraft Rules.

    Air India on Wednesday had said it had imposed a 30-day flying ban on the accused passenger and set up an internal panel to probe whether there were lapses on part of the crew in addressing the situation.

    Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in an internal communication to employees, told airline staff to report any improper behaviour on aircraft to authorities at the earliest even if the matter appeared to have been settled.

    NEW DELHI: The man who allegedly urinated on a female co-passenger on an Air India flight in November had apologised to the victim and begged her to not lodge a complaint, saying he did not wish his wife and child to be affected by the incident.

    Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the accused based on the victim’s complaint to Air India.

    The victim alleged that despite her willingness, she was forced to confront the accused and negotiate with him, further disorientating her, according to the FIR.

    Shortly after lunch was served and the lights were switched off on board AI 102 of November 26, the inebriated male passenger seated in Business Class seat 8A walked to the elderly woman’s seat, unzipped his pants and urinated on her, the FIR stated.

    He kept standing there until the person sitting next to the woman told him to go back, at which point he staggered back to his seat.

    “I immediately got up to notify the stewardess of what had happened. My clothes, shoes and bag were soaked in urine. The bag contained my passport, travel documents and currency. The flight staff refused to touch them, sprayed my bag and shoes with disinfectant, and took me to the bathroom and gave me a set of airline pyjamas and socks. I asked the staff for a change of seat but was told that no other seats were available. However, another business class passenger who had witnessed my plight and was advocating for me pointed out that there were seats available in first class,” the victim was quoted as saying in the FIR.

    ALSO READ | 30-day flying ban on man who urinated on fellow traveller on Air India flight

    After standing for 20 minutes, the victim was offered a small seat used by airline staff where she sat for about two hours. She was then asked to return to her own seat. When she refused, the victim was offered the steward’s seat for the rest of the journey, the FIR stated.

    Later, the flight staff informed the victim that the offender wanted to apologise to her. In response, she said that she did not wish to interact with him or see his face and wanted him to be arrested on arrival.

    ALSO READ | Another mid-air peeing incident: Man urinated on woman’s blanket of Air India flight

    “However, the crew brought the offender before me against my wishes and we were made to sit opposite each other in the crew seats. I was stunned when he started crying and profusely apologising to me, begging me not to lodge a complaint against him because he is a family man and did not want his wife and child to be affected by this incident. In my already distraught state, I was further disoriented by being made to confront and negotiate with the perpetrator of the horrific incident in close quarters,” the FIR stated.

    A lookout circular has been issued against the accused to prevent him from fleeing the country, the police said, adding that efforts were being taken to nab him.

    ALSO READ | Man urinating on co-passenger: Air India gives DGCA its reason for not reporting incident

    Based on the victim’s complaint, a case was registered under sections 294 (obscene act in public place), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under Aircraft Rules.

    Air India on Wednesday had said it had imposed a 30-day flying ban on the accused passenger and set up an internal panel to probe whether there were lapses on part of the crew in addressing the situation.

    Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in an internal communication to employees, told airline staff to report any improper behaviour on aircraft to authorities at the earliest even if the matter appeared to have been settled.

  • Another mid-air peeing incident: Man peed on woman’s blanket of Paris-Delhi Air India flight

    By Online Desk

    Another case of drunken misbehaviour mid-air has come to light. On December 6, a drunk man had allegedly urinated on the blanket of a female passenger on a Paris-Delhi Air India flight.

    The pilot of the aircraft reported the matter to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport about it however no action was taken as the male passenger gave a written apology, officials told PTI. They added that airport security was informed that the male passenger was “under the influence of alcohol and he was not following the instructions of the cabin crew and he later peed on a blanket of an onboard lady passenger”.

    Although apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as soon as he deboarded the plane at 9:40 am, he was allowed to leave after giving a written apology following a “mutual compromise” with the female co-passenger.

    The lady passenger, who had initially made a written complaint, had reportedly refused to file a police case.

    Air India on Wednesday imposed a 30-day flying ban on a passenger who had exposed himself and urinated on a female co-passenger onboard a flight from New York to Delhi on November 26 last year. It is also a matter of surprise that the person was allowed to leave the aircraft after the incident.

    The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against the accused man who has been identified as Shekhar Mishra, a businessman in his fifties from Mumbai, and are searching for him.

    Separately, aviation regulator DGCA said it has sought a report from the airline on the incident and will “take action against those found negligent”.

    The incident only came to light after the aggrieved woman passenger wrote a letter to N Chandrasekaran, chairman of the Tata Group. She alleged that the drunk man had walked to her seat, unzipped his pants and urinated. Even after urinating, the man continued to expose his private parts and only moved when other passengers asked him to leave. Her clothes, shoes, and bag were completely soaked in urine.

    “The stewardess followed me to the seat, verified that it smelled of urine, and sprayed disinfectant on my bag and shoes…” she said in her letter. And when the woman complained to the crew, they reportedly just gave her a set of pyjamas and slippers and told her to return to her seat, claiming no other seat was available.

    The woman also complained about being alloted a small seat used by the airline staff, by one of the senior stewardesses.

    (With PTI inputs)

    Another case of drunken misbehaviour mid-air has come to light. On December 6, a drunk man had allegedly urinated on the blanket of a female passenger on a Paris-Delhi Air India flight.

    The pilot of the aircraft reported the matter to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport about it however no action was taken as the male passenger gave a written apology, officials told PTI. They added that airport security was informed that the male passenger was “under the influence of alcohol and he was not following the instructions of the cabin crew and he later peed on a blanket of an onboard lady passenger”.

    Although apprehended by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as soon as he deboarded the plane at 9:40 am, he was allowed to leave after giving a written apology following a “mutual compromise” with the female co-passenger.

    The lady passenger, who had initially made a written complaint, had reportedly refused to file a police case.

    Air India on Wednesday imposed a 30-day flying ban on a passenger who had exposed himself and urinated on a female co-passenger onboard a flight from New York to Delhi on November 26 last year. It is also a matter of surprise that the person was allowed to leave the aircraft after the incident.

    The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against the accused man who has been identified as Shekhar Mishra, a businessman in his fifties from Mumbai, and are searching for him.

    Separately, aviation regulator DGCA said it has sought a report from the airline on the incident and will “take action against those found negligent”.

    The incident only came to light after the aggrieved woman passenger wrote a letter to N Chandrasekaran, chairman of the Tata Group. She alleged that the drunk man had walked to her seat, unzipped his pants and urinated. Even after urinating, the man continued to expose his private parts and only moved when other passengers asked him to leave. Her clothes, shoes, and bag were completely soaked in urine.

    “The stewardess followed me to the seat, verified that it smelled of urine, and sprayed disinfectant on my bag and shoes…” she said in her letter. And when the woman complained to the crew, they reportedly just gave her a set of pyjamas and slippers and told her to return to her seat, claiming no other seat was available.

    The woman also complained about being alloted a small seat used by the airline staff, by one of the senior stewardesses.

    (With PTI inputs)

  • Air India gets first Boeing 777-200LR to fly on international route

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Air India has received its first Boeing 777-200 LR Vihaan, which means dawn of a new era, is the name given to the aircraft with registration VT-AEF, as per the induction plan.

    Vihaan.AI is Air India’s transformational roadmap over five years with clear milestones.

    It will be focussing on dramatically growing both its network and fleet, developing a completely revamped customer proposition, improving reliability and on-time performance.

    The Boeing aircraft leased from Delta airlines has premium economy class along with standard classes. Sources said that the modified aircraft reached Delhi on Sunday evening.

    Sources said that five Boeing 777-200LRs are likely to join the fleet between December and March. These aircraft will be deployed on international routes from Indian cities.

    Last week, Air India announced the strengthening and expansion of its global footprint with the launch of new flights connecting Mumbai with New York, Paris and Frankfurt, and the resumption of non-stop flights connecting Delhi with Copenhagen, Milan and Vienna.

    This expansion came as the airline continues to make progress in augmenting its fleet with newly-leased aircraft, and the return of existing aircraft to active service.

    Air India in September unveiled its comprehensive transformation plan, to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart — the absolute best in class in customer service, in technology, in product, in reliability and in hospitality. The plan is titled Vihaan.AI with identified objectives for Air India over the next 5 years.

    After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were re-acquired by the Tata group in January 2022.

    Post the acquisition, time-bound transformation milestones have been laid out and a series of steps have been initiated towards achieving the same in order to ensure Air India once again emerges as a world class airline.

    NEW DELHI: Air India has received its first Boeing 777-200 LR Vihaan, which means dawn of a new era, is the name given to the aircraft with registration VT-AEF, as per the induction plan.

    Vihaan.AI is Air India’s transformational roadmap over five years with clear milestones.

    It will be focussing on dramatically growing both its network and fleet, developing a completely revamped customer proposition, improving reliability and on-time performance.

    The Boeing aircraft leased from Delta airlines has premium economy class along with standard classes. Sources said that the modified aircraft reached Delhi on Sunday evening.

    Sources said that five Boeing 777-200LRs are likely to join the fleet between December and March. These aircraft will be deployed on international routes from Indian cities.

    Last week, Air India announced the strengthening and expansion of its global footprint with the launch of new flights connecting Mumbai with New York, Paris and Frankfurt, and the resumption of non-stop flights connecting Delhi with Copenhagen, Milan and Vienna.

    This expansion came as the airline continues to make progress in augmenting its fleet with newly-leased aircraft, and the return of existing aircraft to active service.

    Air India in September unveiled its comprehensive transformation plan, to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart — the absolute best in class in customer service, in technology, in product, in reliability and in hospitality. The plan is titled Vihaan.AI with identified objectives for Air India over the next 5 years.

    After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were re-acquired by the Tata group in January 2022.

    Post the acquisition, time-bound transformation milestones have been laid out and a series of steps have been initiated towards achieving the same in order to ensure Air India once again emerges as a world class airline.

  • Indian pilots decry Air India’s plans to hire foreign pilots for Boeing 777 fleet 

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Air India has planned to hire foreign pilots to meet its requirements on the Boeing 777 fleet through a placement firm.

    Documents regarding recruitment showed that these pilots are being offered better pay, lucrative terms, generous benefits and many other perks that have hardly been offered to Indians.

    However, many senior Indian pilots termed the move as a “crazy initiative” when India already has efficient and experienced pilots for Boeing 777.

    Reacting on the move, Capt. Shakti Lumba said on Twitter: 

    thru #PaxtonAviation @airindiain B777 EXPAT CAPTAIN 1yr contract is 4 $156,000 NET pa assured 4?(70/hr/mo)&6On2OFF rotation ie only 40 working weeks:6 week will be lost on FATA&AEP leaving 34week for flying ie CTC 6148++/ week:This boss must be crazy @TataCompanies #AIpilots pic.twitter.com/96pZmhHfQE
    — Shakti Lumba (@CaptShaktiLumba) November 21, 2022
    Another senior pilot requesting anonymity claimed that Air India is now hiring foreigners with lucrative benefits while Indian pilots are barely given leave and paid well below global standards.

    “Why should a recruitment firm be required when Air India has the in-house faculties to select pilots on their own just as they had recently done for Indians,” he added.

    Response of Air India was awaited till Monday late evening.

    Air India in September unveiled its comprehensive transformation plan, to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart — the absolute best in class in customer service, in technology, in product, in reliability and in hospitality. The plan is titled Vihaan.AI with identified objectives for Air India over the next 5 years.

    After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were re-acquired by the Tata Group in January 2022.

    Post acquisition, time-bound transformation milestones have been laid out and a series of steps have been initiated towards achieving the same in order to ensure Air India once again emerges as a world class

    NEW DELHI: Air India has planned to hire foreign pilots to meet its requirements on the Boeing 777 fleet through a placement firm.

    Documents regarding recruitment showed that these pilots are being offered better pay, lucrative terms, generous benefits and many other perks that have hardly been offered to Indians.

    However, many senior Indian pilots termed the move as a “crazy initiative” when India already has efficient and experienced pilots for Boeing 777.

    Reacting on the move, Capt. Shakti Lumba said on Twitter: 

    thru #PaxtonAviation @airindiain B777 EXPAT CAPTAIN 1yr contract is 4 $156,000 NET pa assured 4?(70/hr/mo)&6On2OFF rotation ie only 40 working weeks:6 week will be lost on FATA&AEP leaving 34week for flying ie CTC 6148++/ week:This boss must be crazy @TataCompanies #AIpilots pic.twitter.com/96pZmhHfQE
    — Shakti Lumba (@CaptShaktiLumba) November 21, 2022
    Another senior pilot requesting anonymity claimed that Air India is now hiring foreigners with lucrative benefits while Indian pilots are barely given leave and paid well below global standards.

    “Why should a recruitment firm be required when Air India has the in-house faculties to select pilots on their own just as they had recently done for Indians,” he added.

    Response of Air India was awaited till Monday late evening.

    Air India in September unveiled its comprehensive transformation plan, to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart — the absolute best in class in customer service, in technology, in product, in reliability and in hospitality. The plan is titled Vihaan.AI with identified objectives for Air India over the next 5 years.

    After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were re-acquired by the Tata Group in January 2022.

    Post acquisition, time-bound transformation milestones have been laid out and a series of steps have been initiated towards achieving the same in order to ensure Air India once again emerges as a world class

  • ‘Indian aviation sector absolutely safe’: DGCA chief on latest flight glitches

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Aviation watchdog DGCA’s chief Arun Kumar on Sunday said technical snags faced by domestic carriers in recent weeks did not have the potential to cause havoc and that even foreign airlines that came to India reported 15 technical snags in the last 16 days.

    The country’s civil aviation space is “absolutely safe” and all the protocols laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) are followed, he said.

    Against the backdrop of a spate of technical snags suffered by Indian airlines in recent weeks and DGCA curtailing operations of SpiceJet, Kumar stressed that there is no need to panic as none of the events that have been reported/discussed had the potential to cause havoc.

    “All the snags experienced are routine and happen with all airlines and all types of fleet. In the last 16 days, even for the foreign operators who come to India, we have seen 15 technical snags, which have been attended and rectified,” Kumar told PTI in an interview.

    Specific details about snags that were faced by the overseas carriers were not disclosed.

    According to Kumar, the snags faced by the foreign operators were similar to that encountered by the Indian carriers.

    In recent times, more than a dozen instances of Indian carriers facing technical snags have become public, especially in the case of SpiceJet, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is keeping a close watch on the developments.

    “What most of them (recent incidents of technical snags) required was troubleshooting, replacement of some component say windshield due to outer layer crack, defective valve, high-pressure switch, landing gear uplock, hydraulic accumulator or an engine,” Kumar said.

    The regulator has started a two-month-long special audit of airlines to address possible issues and has curtailed the operations of SpiceJet, among other measures, amid a spurt in instances of technical snags.

    After being severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the domestic civil aviation sector is on the recovery path and on average, there are more than 6,000 aircraft movements in the Indian airspace daily.

    If overflying planes are also taken into account, the total would be over 7,000 movements.

    Aircraft movements include landings as well as departures.

    In the three-month period from April 1 to June 30 this year, a total of 150 incidents occurred to the aircraft operated by scheduled airlines due to component and system malfunction, according to the civil aviation ministry.

    During the period from May 2 to July 13, DGCA undertook a special drive of 353 spot checks.

    Emphasising that the aviation sector is “process-driven”, Kumar said, “there are hundreds of thousands of components in an aircraft and if one or two components have issues, it does not always mean that there are high risks or the possibility of fatal incidents”.

    He also noted that it will be naive to assume that an aircraft, which flies till it is airworthy, does 40-50 thousand hours of flying, will not have a technical snag.

    On July 27, DGCA directed SpiceJet to operate only 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks and decided to keep the airline under enhanced surveillance in the wake of a spate of technical snags suffered by the carrier’s planes.

    The same day, SpiceJet issued a statement saying that due to the current lean travel season, the airline like others had already rescheduled its flight operations and that there will be absolutely no impact on its flight operations.

    Responding to reservations expressed in certain quarters that DGCA action against SpiceJet was not strong enough, Kumar said, “I am not here to shut down airlines.

    My role is to take measures to ensure safe and efficient flying”.

    The DGCA chief also mentioned that the fleet of Indian carriers is mostly young compared to those of many other countries.

    “The focus is always on safety and to ensure that any situation is not allowed to worsen”.

    The safety oversight process of DGCA includes surveillance, spot check and regulatory audits embodied in the annual surveillance programme.

    On July 28, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha that a total of 478 technical snags were reported in the last one year — from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.

    NEW DELHI: Aviation watchdog DGCA’s chief Arun Kumar on Sunday said technical snags faced by domestic carriers in recent weeks did not have the potential to cause havoc and that even foreign airlines that came to India reported 15 technical snags in the last 16 days.

    The country’s civil aviation space is “absolutely safe” and all the protocols laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) are followed, he said.

    Against the backdrop of a spate of technical snags suffered by Indian airlines in recent weeks and DGCA curtailing operations of SpiceJet, Kumar stressed that there is no need to panic as none of the events that have been reported/discussed had the potential to cause havoc.

    “All the snags experienced are routine and happen with all airlines and all types of fleet. In the last 16 days, even for the foreign operators who come to India, we have seen 15 technical snags, which have been attended and rectified,” Kumar told PTI in an interview.

    Specific details about snags that were faced by the overseas carriers were not disclosed.

    According to Kumar, the snags faced by the foreign operators were similar to that encountered by the Indian carriers.

    In recent times, more than a dozen instances of Indian carriers facing technical snags have become public, especially in the case of SpiceJet, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is keeping a close watch on the developments.

    “What most of them (recent incidents of technical snags) required was troubleshooting, replacement of some component say windshield due to outer layer crack, defective valve, high-pressure switch, landing gear uplock, hydraulic accumulator or an engine,” Kumar said.

    The regulator has started a two-month-long special audit of airlines to address possible issues and has curtailed the operations of SpiceJet, among other measures, amid a spurt in instances of technical snags.

    After being severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the domestic civil aviation sector is on the recovery path and on average, there are more than 6,000 aircraft movements in the Indian airspace daily.

    If overflying planes are also taken into account, the total would be over 7,000 movements.

    Aircraft movements include landings as well as departures.

    In the three-month period from April 1 to June 30 this year, a total of 150 incidents occurred to the aircraft operated by scheduled airlines due to component and system malfunction, according to the civil aviation ministry.

    During the period from May 2 to July 13, DGCA undertook a special drive of 353 spot checks.

    Emphasising that the aviation sector is “process-driven”, Kumar said, “there are hundreds of thousands of components in an aircraft and if one or two components have issues, it does not always mean that there are high risks or the possibility of fatal incidents”.

    He also noted that it will be naive to assume that an aircraft, which flies till it is airworthy, does 40-50 thousand hours of flying, will not have a technical snag.

    On July 27, DGCA directed SpiceJet to operate only 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks and decided to keep the airline under enhanced surveillance in the wake of a spate of technical snags suffered by the carrier’s planes.

    The same day, SpiceJet issued a statement saying that due to the current lean travel season, the airline like others had already rescheduled its flight operations and that there will be absolutely no impact on its flight operations.

    Responding to reservations expressed in certain quarters that DGCA action against SpiceJet was not strong enough, Kumar said, “I am not here to shut down airlines.

    My role is to take measures to ensure safe and efficient flying”.

    The DGCA chief also mentioned that the fleet of Indian carriers is mostly young compared to those of many other countries.

    “The focus is always on safety and to ensure that any situation is not allowed to worsen”.

    The safety oversight process of DGCA includes surveillance, spot check and regulatory audits embodied in the annual surveillance programme.

    On July 28, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha that a total of 478 technical snags were reported in the last one year — from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.

  • MHA gives security clearance to Air India CEO-designate Campbell Wilson

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given security clearance to Air India CEO-designate Campbell Wilson, paving the way for him to take charge of the airline, a government official said.

    The MHA nod came after a thorough background check.

    The move comes almost two months after Tata Sons, which took over the loss-making airline from the government on January 27 this year, announced Wilson’s appointment. The announcement of Wilson appointment as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India was made by Tata Sons on May 12.

    However, for Wilson to takeover, a nod from the MHA was needed.

    “The Ministry of Home Affairs has given security clearance to Air India CEO-designate Campbell Wilson,” a senior government official told ANI.

    Under civil aviation rules, MHA clearance is mandatory for the appointment of key personnel at airlines, especially foreigners.

    An aviation industry veteran with over 26 years of experience, Wilson began as a management trainee with Singapore Airlines.

    Wilson has also worked as the CEO of Singapore Airlines’ wholly-owned subsidiary Scoot Air. He was the founding CEO of Scoot, which he led until 2016. Significantly, Singapore Airlines is a partner of the Tata Group in the joint venture Vistara.

    Wilson also served as the senior vice president of sales and marketing of Singapore Airlines, where he oversaw pricing, distribution, e-commerce, merchandising, brand and marketing, global sales and the airline’s overseas offices, before returning for a second stint as the CEO of Scoot in April 2020.

    Weeks after taking over the carrier, Tata Sons, on February 14, named Turkish Airlines’ former Chairman Lyker Ayci as Air India’s MD and CEO. However, Ayci, who was to take over on April 1, declined to join the group amid concerns expressed over his appointment in certain quarters. 

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given security clearance to Air India CEO-designate Campbell Wilson, paving the way for him to take charge of the airline, a government official said.

    The MHA nod came after a thorough background check.

    The move comes almost two months after Tata Sons, which took over the loss-making airline from the government on January 27 this year, announced Wilson’s appointment. The announcement of Wilson appointment as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India was made by Tata Sons on May 12.

    However, for Wilson to takeover, a nod from the MHA was needed.

    “The Ministry of Home Affairs has given security clearance to Air India CEO-designate Campbell Wilson,” a senior government official told ANI.

    Under civil aviation rules, MHA clearance is mandatory for the appointment of key personnel at airlines, especially foreigners.

    An aviation industry veteran with over 26 years of experience, Wilson began as a management trainee with Singapore Airlines.

    Wilson has also worked as the CEO of Singapore Airlines’ wholly-owned subsidiary Scoot Air. He was the founding CEO of Scoot, which he led until 2016. Significantly, Singapore Airlines is a partner of the Tata Group in the joint venture Vistara.

    Wilson also served as the senior vice president of sales and marketing of Singapore Airlines, where he oversaw pricing, distribution, e-commerce, merchandising, brand and marketing, global sales and the airline’s overseas offices, before returning for a second stint as the CEO of Scoot in April 2020.

    Weeks after taking over the carrier, Tata Sons, on February 14, named Turkish Airlines’ former Chairman Lyker Ayci as Air India’s MD and CEO. However, Ayci, who was to take over on April 1, declined to join the group amid concerns expressed over his appointment in certain quarters. 

  • Air India’s Dubai-Kochi flight diverts to Mumbai after pilot reports cabin pressure loss

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Air India’s Dubai-Kochi flight was diverted to Mumbai on Thursday after the pilot-in-command reported a loss in cabin pressure, officials of aviation regulator DGCA said.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and off-rostered this flight’s crew, they said.

    It has also started investigating the incident, the officials said.

    This is the third instance in the last three days when the aviation regulator grounded a plane after an incident.

    On Tuesday, Go First’s Mumbai-Leh and Srinagar-Delhi flights faced engine snags and both the planes were grounded by the DGCA.

    An Air India spokesperson said the matter has been reported to the DGCA.

    “Flight AI 934, operating from Dubai to Cochin, was diverted to Mumbai today due to a technical issue. The B787 aircraft landed safely at Mumbai at 1912 hrs with 247 passengers and crew. An alternate aircraft is being arranged to carry passengers from Mumbai to Kochi,” the spokesperson said.

    DGCA officials said that when the Air India flight was heading from Dubai to Kochi on Thursday, the pilot observed a loss in cabin pressure and immediately contacted the integrated operations control centre (IOCC) of the airline as well as the air traffic controller.

    Oxygen masks were deployed so that the passengers do not face any discomfiture.

    The plane was allowed to divert to the nearest airport, which in this case was the one in Mumbai and it landed safely, they added.

    An aircraft generally operates at an altitude of around 30,000 feet where the oxygen level is quite less.

    Therefore, all aircraft create pressure inside the cabin so that there is sufficient oxygen for passengers and crew members.

    There have been multiple technical malfunction incidents in planes flown by Indian carriers in the last one month.

    Between Sunday and Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held multiple meetings with airlines and officials from his ministry and DGCA to ensure safety oversight.

    READ HERE | Aircraft technical snags: DGCA crackdown finds insufficient engineering staff certifying planes

    The DGCA had on Monday said it conducted spot checks and found that an insufficient number of engineering personnel were certifying planes of various carriers before take-off.

    Before each departure, an aircraft is checked and certified by an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME).

    The DGCA has now issued guidelines for airlines on deployment of qualified AMEs and directed them to comply by July 28.

    “The spot checks also found that AME teams of airlines are improperly identifying the “cause of a reported defect”, the DGCA order stated.

    A Go First flight heading from Delhi to Guwahati on Wednesday was diverted to Jaipur after the A320neo aircraft’s windshield cracked mid-air.

    On July 17, IndiGo’s Sharjah-Hyderabad flight was diverted to Karachi as a precautionary measure after pilots observed a defect in one engine.

    On the night of July 16, the Calicut-Dubai flight of the Air India Express was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed in the cabin mid-air.

    A live bird was found in the cockpit of the Air India Express Bahrain-Kochi flight on July 15.

    SpiceJet is also under the scanner.

    On July 6, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet following at least eight incidents of technical malfunction in its aircraft since June 19.

    The DGCA is currently investigating all these incidents.

    NEW DELHI: Air India’s Dubai-Kochi flight was diverted to Mumbai on Thursday after the pilot-in-command reported a loss in cabin pressure, officials of aviation regulator DGCA said.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and off-rostered this flight’s crew, they said.

    It has also started investigating the incident, the officials said.

    This is the third instance in the last three days when the aviation regulator grounded a plane after an incident.

    On Tuesday, Go First’s Mumbai-Leh and Srinagar-Delhi flights faced engine snags and both the planes were grounded by the DGCA.

    An Air India spokesperson said the matter has been reported to the DGCA.

    “Flight AI 934, operating from Dubai to Cochin, was diverted to Mumbai today due to a technical issue. The B787 aircraft landed safely at Mumbai at 1912 hrs with 247 passengers and crew. An alternate aircraft is being arranged to carry passengers from Mumbai to Kochi,” the spokesperson said.

    DGCA officials said that when the Air India flight was heading from Dubai to Kochi on Thursday, the pilot observed a loss in cabin pressure and immediately contacted the integrated operations control centre (IOCC) of the airline as well as the air traffic controller.

    Oxygen masks were deployed so that the passengers do not face any discomfiture.

    The plane was allowed to divert to the nearest airport, which in this case was the one in Mumbai and it landed safely, they added.

    An aircraft generally operates at an altitude of around 30,000 feet where the oxygen level is quite less.

    Therefore, all aircraft create pressure inside the cabin so that there is sufficient oxygen for passengers and crew members.

    There have been multiple technical malfunction incidents in planes flown by Indian carriers in the last one month.

    Between Sunday and Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held multiple meetings with airlines and officials from his ministry and DGCA to ensure safety oversight.

    READ HERE | Aircraft technical snags: DGCA crackdown finds insufficient engineering staff certifying planes

    The DGCA had on Monday said it conducted spot checks and found that an insufficient number of engineering personnel were certifying planes of various carriers before take-off.

    Before each departure, an aircraft is checked and certified by an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME).

    The DGCA has now issued guidelines for airlines on deployment of qualified AMEs and directed them to comply by July 28.

    “The spot checks also found that AME teams of airlines are improperly identifying the “cause of a reported defect”, the DGCA order stated.

    A Go First flight heading from Delhi to Guwahati on Wednesday was diverted to Jaipur after the A320neo aircraft’s windshield cracked mid-air.

    On July 17, IndiGo’s Sharjah-Hyderabad flight was diverted to Karachi as a precautionary measure after pilots observed a defect in one engine.

    On the night of July 16, the Calicut-Dubai flight of the Air India Express was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed in the cabin mid-air.

    A live bird was found in the cockpit of the Air India Express Bahrain-Kochi flight on July 15.

    SpiceJet is also under the scanner.

    On July 6, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet following at least eight incidents of technical malfunction in its aircraft since June 19.

    The DGCA is currently investigating all these incidents.

  • Air India fined Rs 10 lakh for denying boarding to passenger with tickets 

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India (AI) for denying boarding to passengers holding valid tickets.

    “After going through AI submissions, as part of enforcement action, the competent authority has levied a penalty of Rs 10 Lakh. In addition, the airline has been advised to immediately put the systems in place to resolve the issue failing which further action shall be taken by DGCA,” the regulator said.

    The action comes following numerous reports of flyers being denied boarding by a slew of airlines despite having valid tickets and showing up on time. Despite guidelines, certain airlines were not following them, the DGCA said after conducting a series of checks at Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi.

    “In the case of Air India — where the regulation is not being followed — a show-cause notice was issued to the Airline and also a personal hearing was afforded. It appears that the airline does not have a policy in this regard and is not paying any compensation to hapless passengers, whose numbers can be anybody’s guess,” the DGCA said.

    Laying down guidelines for denying boarding to a passenger despite a valid ticket, the DGCA said in this case, an airline is able to arrange an alternate flight for the said passenger within an hour, and no compensation needs to be paid.

    However, if the airline provides an alternate arrangement within the next 24 hours, compensation up to Rs 10,000 is prescribed, it added. that for anything beyond 24 hours, compensation up to Rs 20,000 is laid down.

  • Alliance Air breaks free from Air India

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Alliance Air, an independently held government airline, will be booking and handling all other services of its airline on its own beginning tomorrow.

    Until now, Air India was booking tickets on their behalf. After Tata’s brought over Air India –the three companies that came with it were Air India, Air India Express, and AI SATS (ground handling and cargo)– Alliance Air remained with the government. However, Air India was handling their bookings until now.

    Air India had issued a notification today that said,  “Alliance Air is no longer a subsidiary of Air India. Passengers holding tickets of Air India with a four-digit flight number starting with `9’ or three digit flight number starting with `91’ may please be informed that these bookings belong to Alliance Air.  Bookings/queries related to Alliance Air will not be handled by Air India from 15th April.’’

    “We have our own designated website for bookings from now on and passengers seeking to fly with us will have to book with us,’’ said a spokesperson of Alliance Air.

    Alliance Air operates air services to 47 destinations with a fleet of 18 ATR 72-600 (70-72 seater) aircraft. They recently inducted their 19th aircraft which was an Indian-made Dornier 17-seater aircraft. This aircraft made its maiden flight from Dibrugarh to Lilabari via Pasighat two days back.

    Alliance Air flights operate on 47 destinations in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. 

    “The flight schedule of Alliance Air is structured in a manner which enables easy connections to and from smaller cities via the hubs of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

  • Ukraine war: MEA says 13 flights will bring home 2,200 Indians on Sunday

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Thirteen flights with more than 2,200 Indian evacuees will operate from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to India on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

    “During the next 24 hours, we have close to 13 flights scheduled to bring back Indians who have crossed the Ukrainian border on the Western side,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

    There are close to 300 students in the safe zone of Pesochin and all of them would be transported to the border by Saturday. There are no Indians left in Kharkiv and the only area of concern is Sumy where nearly 700 Indian students have been stranded.

    Sumy is just about 60 km away from the Russian border but since there is constant shelling, it isn’t safe for students to step out.

    ALSO READ | ‘We will leave no stone unturned for safe evacuation of students’: Indian envoy to Ukraine

    “The students are largely concentrated in two camps which is safe for them. They did face some shortage of water and electricity outages yesterday, but all that has been restored now. We are trying all options to get them out with safety and they continue to be our primary area of concern,” Bagchi said.

    Around 17,333 Indians have returned to India from Ukraine since the first advisory was issued by the Indian embassy in Kyiv.

    Out of these 13,330 have returned through the 63 evacuation flights that have been arranged by the Indian government. Around 4,000 Indians had returned prior to the outbreak of the conflict.

    India has been pressing for a ceasefire from both Russia and Ukraine, and till that actually happens it would not be safe to evacuate the students who are stranded there.

    According to some estimates, there aren’t more than 1000 Indians left in Ukraine now. Most of those who have crossed the border would return to India by Sunday.