Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has directed Air India management to withdraw the benefit for pilots to travel as additional crew during leave, with immediate effect, following complains.
"Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has directed Air India to withdraw with immediate effect the facility available to pilots to travel as an additional crew member during time off or leave. Henceforth no such facility to pilots to travel as an additional crew member in Air India shall be available during time off or leave," a statement from the Ministry said as per a report in TOI.
The direction came following a complaint received by the Minister that Air India's Captain S P S Suri was given authorisation by the management to fly on Delhi-Dubai sector as additional crew member earlier this month.
Suri, who was commander of the Delhi-Shanghai flight, was grounded by the airline management last month after he failed to report an incident of turbulence faced while operating the flight with an Airbus 330 aircraft.
Three people were injured in that incident. "The DGCA has also been asked to enquire into this matter and submit a report to the Minister," the statement said.
According to the Ministry release, it was also noticed that the facility available to pilots to travel as additional crew member was being misused by the pilots to travel free of cost during time off or leave.
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