Allowing friend into cockpit: Pilot suspended; Air India fined ₹30 L

New Delhi: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) informed that it had suspended an Air India pilot for three months over allowing a woman friend to enter and stay in the cockpit during a flight from Dubai to Delhi in February. Also, adding that it has slapped a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India, the aviation regulator said that the pilot violated the safety norms, NDTV reported.

DGCA said that the pilot in command of the flight allowed an Air India staff on duty to travel as a passenger inside the cockpit. It was a violation of DGCA regulations. Air India did not take prompt corrective action after the safety-threatening violation, the regulator said.

It continued that the airline's company has been slapped with the said fine while the pilot licence of the pilot in command has been suspended for three months for misuse of his authority vested under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and DGCA norms violations. Further, the Copiolet has been warned for not being assertive in preventing the violation, the regulator said.

As per DGCA norms, authorised people are not allowed inside the cockpit, which would be a violation of norms.

After the incident in question, DGCA had de-roasted the entire crew of the flight pending the investigation, NDTV reports.