DGCA suspends two AirAsia executives over safety violations

AirAsia India’s head of operations Manish Uppal and head of safety Mukesh Nema were suspended for three months, the official added, requesting anonymity.

Mint reported on 15 June that the DGCA had initiated an enquiry into AirAsia India after one of its pilots, Gaurav Taneja, made allegations about safety violations by the airline.

Taneja also alleged that he was suspended by the airline after flagging serious safety-related violations.

Taneja had accused AirAsia India, a joint venture between Tata Sons (51%) and Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad (49%), of violating safety protocols, which endangered the lives of passengers on board.

AirAsia officials had said in June that Taneja was suspended because of disciplinary issues and that his suspension was not related to reporting safety lapses.

On Tuesday, an AirAsia India spokesperson said the airline had received the DGCA’s suspension notice in July and has complied with it by appointing interim heads for safety and operations.

“As an airline that prioritises safety above all, we continue to engage with the authorities and exercise the option to appeal for redressal," the airline said in a statement.