Notice to Air India on making girlfriend sit in cockpit: DGCA seeks reply by May 5, questions to Chief Flight Safety

On April 21, on an Air India flight coming from Dubai to Delhi, the pilot made his girlfriend sit in the cockpit. Now in this matter, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sent a show cause notice to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson. At the same time, DGCA also issued a notice to Chief of Flight Safety Henry Donohoe for delaying the investigation and not giving information to the concerned authority.
A DGCA official told news agency ANI that notices were issued in this matter on April 21. Both have been given 15 days to reply. They have to reply to the notice by May 5. At the same time, till the investigation of the case was completed, it was directed not to impose a duty on crew members. At present, no statement has come from Air India in this matter.
In fact, on the Air India flight coming from Dubai to Delhi, the pilot had taken his girlfriend to the cockpit. Both stayed there for an hour. The pilot asked the crew to order pillows for him and serve him alcohol. When the crew refused to serve alcohol in the cockpit, the pilot became enraged and abused them.
An air hostess on the flight had complained to the DGCA. The cabin crew had told in their complaint that since the beginning on February 27, flight AI 915 was facing problems due to the pilot. First, he reached late from the reporting time. The crew waited, but as the pilot was late, they boarded the plane without meeting each other.
Later, along with the passengers, the pilot also boarded the plane. As soon as the pilot-in-charge arrived, he asked the crew members about the availability of seats in business class, as one of his female friends was travelling in economy class.
The crew stated that the pilot-in-charge had asked them to call their female friend. He wanted the crew to be seen welcoming his female friend as she entered the cockpit. Had also asked to bring some pillows for his comfort. His female friend came into the cockpit and was sitting in the first observer seat.
The pilot asked the crew to serve drinks and food to his lady friend in the cockpit itself. The crew told the pilot-in-charge that they cannot serve alcohol in the cockpit. He got angry about this and started treating the crew like servants.
When the female friend of the pilot was present in the cockpit and the crew members went there to talk, he was not in his normal state. The first officer was sleeping with a pillow. The pilot-in-charge was sitting in the rear observer's station opposite the female passenger and talking. The pilot-in-charge informed the crew that the first officer (co-pilot) was taking controlled rest and sleep.
The crew also informed that both pilots accompanied the female passenger to the immigration area. Also alleged that during the return flight also the pilot in charge was angry and made obscene comments. The crew has asked the DGCA to conduct a mental test of the pilot at the Air Force Medical Testing Station as he had put the lives of passengers at risk.