Air India today said it fired a simulator trainer pilot for lapses, and removed from flying duties 10 others who trained under him, pending further investigation. The action came after a whistleblower flagged the simulator trainer pilot not doing his job properly while training others, the Tata group-owned airline said in a statement.
“Recently, a whistleblower had complained that a simulator trainer pilot had not fulfilled his responsibilities during recurrent simulator training of pilots. A thorough investigation was carried out and, after examining the evidence, the complaint was substantiated,” Air India stated.
“Consequently, the above-mentioned trainer pilot’s services are being cancelled. As a precautionary measure, 10 pilots who completed recurrent training from the trainer pilot have been grounded pending investigation,” it added.
Air India informed that it brought the issue on its own accord to the aviation regulator, DGCA, in line with its practice of voluntary disclosure, and praised the whistleblower for coming out. The airline stated that shortly after the privatisation of Air India under the Tata group, the airline adopted the Tata Code of Conduct to set clear behavioural expectations and drive cultural change to that of a Tata group company.
This included extensive induction training of all employees on Tata’s ethos and ethics-policies related to anti-bribery, anti-corruption and whistleblowing, among others. There is an apex ethics committee headed by senior management that monitors initiatives to instill a zero tolerance culture for unethical practices. Extensive awareness drives are held regularly to reiterate expectations,” Air India stated.
A systematic process for gathering allegations, investigating and imposing strict punishment was also implemented, it added, noting these are recorded and investigated by a seasoned team without external influence.
