Air India pilot suspended for faking Class 12 certificate

More than three years after it came to light, a senior pilot with the national carrier Air India was suspended for producing a fake Class 12 certificate on Monday.

More than three years after the matter came to light, a senior pilot with the national carrier Air India was suspended for producing a fake Class 12 certificate on Monday.

HT Image

The complaint against captain AB Khadtale, an Airbus commander with the airline’s domestic aircraft fleet, was pending with aviation safety regulator since 2013.

An AI spokesperson confirmed the matter. “The pilot had been suspended and we have informed the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) about the matter. He will face appropriate disciplinary action,” said the spokesperson.

Captain Kadtale did not respond to HT’s calls and a text message.

The matter first came to light when the suspended pilot’s sister, a Bandra-based doctor reported the matter to the DGCA in 2013. While Dr Manisha Kanagali had written to the regulator earlier too, this was the first time the DGCA decided to send captain Khatdale’s certificate for verification.

According to Dr Kanagali’s complaint, her youngest brother had passed his SSC exam from an Andheri school, but failed to clear his Class 11 exams. He appeared for HSC exams privately, which he also failed to clear, claimed his sister.

More than 15 pilots working with different domestic airlines were caught for landing jobs by using fake flying certificate during a DGCA audit in 2011.