DGCA conditional nod to Air India for simulator training

The aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has given conditional approval to Air India to restart simulator training for the next 30 days, which will allow the airline to initiate license renewals and certifications at simulators.

Air India’s ATO or approved training organisation license was suspended last week over issues found during an inspection. Thereafter, the airline had to suspend the license renewal process at both its simulators -- Boeing simulator in Mumbai and Airbus simulator in Hyderabad.

Officials of the aviation regulator had found problems with the quality manual and thus directed the airline to stop the operations until further orders. Additionally, the company also reportedly failed to showcase appropriate protocols to ensure “preventive maintenance checks” at these two simulators.

The relaxation comes following the airline's submission of a new standard of procedures (SoP) on preventive checks and also after it showed progress on updation of the quality manual. The DGCA officials will now conduct an internal audit in the next 30 days, and submit the report to the regulator.

Separately, Air India has entered an interline partnership with Bangkok Airways, which enables Air India guests to take convenient connections via Air India’s Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore gateways to and from 10 destinations in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia on Bangkok Airways’ route network.

The scope of the agreement between the two airlines includes Inter Airline Through Check-In (IATCI) implementation, which enables guests to receive their boarding passes at the first point of departure for all the travel sectors on a single ticket and have their baggage checked-in through to their final destinations.

Air India guests taking connecting flights on Bangkok Airways will also receive complimentary access to Bangkok Airways’ Boutique Lounges and Courtesy Corners at available airports, regardless of the cabin class they fly. Air India and Bangkok Airways have also entered a Special Prorate Agreement, which allows both carriers to file ‘through fares’ on routes covering each other’s networks.

Air India also unveiled its new brand identity and aircraft livery recently. The new logo, 'The Vista', was unveiled after the airline worked on it for over 15 months. It will replace the old 'red swan and orange spokes' logo. Travellers will start seeing the new look starting December 2023 when the first Airbus A350 will join its fleet.

India's biggest conglomerate Tata group took over the management and control of Air India from the government in January 2022, after 69 years. Through the divestment, the government sold off its 100% stake in the state-owned national airline.