112 Air India pilots took medical leave 4 days after Ahmedabad crash: Minister tells Parliament

Mohol told Parliament 51 Commanders and 61 Flight Officers put in leave requests on that day, stating the need to recognise and manage pilots' mental health, particularly after a crash.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, he stated that in February 2023, airlines were issued notices requiring them to ensure "quick and effective methods to assess mental health" during medical tests.

He said airlines and airport authorities were also instructed to introduce "standalone and customised training capsules" for flight crew and air traffic controllers to manage potential mental health problems.

DGCA notices to Air India

Air India has confirmed receipt of four show-cause notices from the Director-General of Civil Aviation on Wednesday for breaching safety standards related to managing crew fatigue and training.

"We acknowledge receipt of these notices... related to certain voluntary disclosures made over the last one year. We will respond to the said notices..." an Air India spokesperson told the media.

Air India remains committed to the safety of our crew and passengers, the spokesperson said.

The domestic carrier has received 13 notices in the past six months for multiple safety violations and incidents, including Tuesday's fire in the auxiliary power unit of an Airbus A321 that flew from Hong Kong to Delhi.

The fire broke out after the plane landed and passengers were disembarking. It was contained, and there were no injuries.

Twenty-four hours prior, a Kochi-Mumbai flight veered off the runway and suffered damage to an engine cover, and a Delhi-Kolkata flight aborted take-off at the last minute owing to technical snag.

Air India's safety standards have come under scrutiny after the June 12 Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, in which 260 people died and 81 were injured.

Of the 242 people on board the Ahmedabad to London plane, only one man had survived. The rest of the casualties took place on the ground as the aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel.