Air India CEO, safety head receive show cause notice over cockpit incident

New Delhi (India), April 30, 2023: India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson and Head of Safety, Security, and Quality Functions Henry Donohoe for not reporting a serious incident involving a pilot allowing a female friend inside the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27, 2023.

The airline’s lapse in reporting the incident on time is in violation of the regulator’s safety instructions. The notice was issued to both executives on April 21, and they have been given 15 days to respond.

A cabin crew member filed a complaint with the DGCA about the pilot allowing the woman inside the cockpit, prompting the regulator to direct Air India to defroster the entire crew of the Dubai-Delhi flight while investigations are complete. Unauthorized individuals are not allowed to enter the cockpit, and any such entry could violate norms.

Air India has stated that it is investigating the incident, and the airline has taken it seriously. However, the show cause notices suggest that the airline failed to promptly inform the DGCA about the incident, leading to a delay in investigating the matter. The DGCA is taking a serious view of the airline’s lapses in reporting the incident, and this could result in strict action against the airline and its executives.