Aviation regulator DGCA issues show cause notice to Air India

Aviation watchdog DGCA has issued a show cause notice to Air India for non-compliance with norms pertaining to facilities that are required to be provided to passengers.

The airline said it is reviewing the show cause notice. Last year, the regulator imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India for not complying with the provisions of Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on denied boarding of passengers.

In order to ensure compliance of passenger-centric CARs, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said it has been carrying out inspections of scheduled domestic airlines at various major airports on a continuing basis since May 2023.

”During the inspections of the airlines, it was observed that Air India was not complying with the provisions of the relevant CAR.

”Accordingly, a show cause notice has been issued to Air India seeking their response for non-compliance to the provisions of the CAR,” the DGCA said in a release.

An Air India spokesperson said the airline is reviewing the show cause notice and will respond to it within the given timeframe.

According to a source in the know, the notice was issued on November 3 and the airline has time till November 17 to submit its response. If required, the airline can seek an in-person hearing on the issue, the source added.

The regulator also said it is imperative to continuously strengthen the rights of the passengers and ensure that the airline operates under harmonised conditions in line with the best global practices. Domestic air passenger traffic has been rising in India, which is one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets in the world.