Scheduling and rostering lapses at Air India persist, five months after the airline was reprimanded by the aviation regulator over similar issues. In the latest instance, a co-pilot and a senior captain have been taken off flying duty after separate violations were detected last month, according to media reports.

In one case, a co-pilot reportedly operated a flight without completing the mandatory corrective training required after failing the biannual Pilot Proficiency Check (PPC) – Instrument Rating (IR) test. In the other, a senior captain flew an aircraft despite holding a lapsed English Language Proficiency (ELP) licence.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incidents and has sought a detailed report from the airline. Air India is understood to have reminded all pilots to ensure their licences and training requirements are fully up to date.

According to officials, the A320 co-pilot had not cleared his latest IR-PPC check. While this is not uncommon, pilots must undergo remedial training and pass a recheck before being cleared to fly again. However, the co-pilot was allowed to operate a flight without completing this process, a lapse that was viewed seriously by authorities.

An Air India spokesperson confirmed the incident: “An instance of a first officer operating a flight after an unsatisfactory recurrent training check was detected by the training team. As soon as the error came to our notice, a crew scheduler and the pilot involved were off-rostered. Strong disciplinary proceedings have been initiated, and the same has been duly reported to the regulator, DGCA.”

In the second case, a senior commander reportedly operated an A320 flight while his ELP licence had expired, a key requirement for pilots to exercise the privileges of their licence."An instance of a senior pilot operating a flight with a lapsed ELP licence was detected. As soon as the error came to our notice, the senior pilot involved was off-rostered, and the matter is being investigated. The same has been duly reported to the regulator, DGCA,” the airline said in a statement.

Senior pilots have expressed concern that such lapses highlight ongoing shortcomings in Air India’s oversight mechanisms to ensure only fully compliant pilots are rostered for duty.

The DGCA had earlier flagged serious rostering issues at the airline just a week after the June 12 Ahmedabad crash. At the time, it ordered the immediate removal of three senior officials overseeing crew scheduling, citing repeated “lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements.” The regulator also warned that any future violations could attract strict enforcement measures, including penalties, suspension of licences, or even withdrawal of operating permissions.

The DGCA’s June 20 order had stated: “Repeated and serious violations voluntarily disclosed by Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements… point to systemic failures in crew scheduling, compliance monitoring, and internal accountability.”