AI 'pee-gate': Scindia's intervention sought to revoke suspension of pilot's licence

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IANS | 26 Jan, 2023
The Federation of Indian Pilots on Wednesday wrote to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia seeking his intervention to revoke the suspension of licence of the pilot-in-command of the Air India flight in which peeing incident occurred on November 26, 2022.

The pilots' body said that DGCA's 'knee-jerk' reaction appears to have been triggered by sensational media reports.

"Prima facie, there was no effort on the part of the DGCA to conclude its own independent enquiry to establish facts on the basis of credible evidence and nor was the suspended licence holders was given an opportunity to be heard by his own employer's internal complaint committee," said the letter written to the Minister on Wednesday.

The pilots' body requested the Civil Aviation Minister's immediate intervention to revoke the suspension of the pilot's licence.

"It is a matter of great concern that DGCA continues to wield autocratic, colonial-era powers derived from archaic legislation that effectively makes it a rule-making, investigating, punishing and appellate authority all rolled into one without adequate checks and balances, such arbitrary actions have become the norm rather than an exception," said the Federation of Indian pilots.

Aviation regulator DGCA on January 20 imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India and suspended the licence of pilot-in-command for three months in the Air India peeing case which occurred on November 26, 2022.

Moreover, the regulator also imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on director-in-flight services of Air India for failing to discharge duties.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Air India joint action forum, a group of six unions, on Tuesday appealed to aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation to withdraw the suspension of the pilot-in-command of the Air India flight in which peeing incident occurred.