AI used fake documents to assign flight duties: union

The Air India management used fake documents to assign flight duties to some cabin crew and officials from the aviation safety regulator’s office, turning a blind eye to the violation, a complaint sent to the DGCA alleged today. Soubhik Mitra reports.

The Air India management used fake documents to assign flight duties to some cabin crew and officials from the aviation safety regulator’s office, turning a blind eye to the violation, a complaint sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) alleged on Wednesday.

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HT has a copy of the complaint by All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) that claims that the cabin crew hired by two AI subsidiary companies, Air India Charters Limited and Airline Allied Services Limited, were rostered to operate regular AI flights which is a violation as per rule 133A of Aircraft Act, 1937.

It further alleged that some DGCA officials also issued a crew member certificate to that section of the cabin staff. “Thus officials of DGCA are criminally liable for allowing falsified documents without which these certificates cannot be issued,” said an AICCA member requesting anonymity.

The complain added that the airline used the same documents to procure approximately 1000 airport entry passes and more than 200 US visas for the crew. “What is most surprising is that AI got five-year crew visas from the US consulate for flight pursers hired for just three years,” said another AICCA member.

The union has threatened to file a complaint against senior AI management at the Sahar police station on Thursday. Neither the AI spokesperson nor chairman and MD Rohit Nandan responded to HT’s calls and email.