Shillong, April 21: According to a complaint lodged to the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by a member of the cabin crew, an Air India pilot entertaining a female acquaintance in the cockpit on February 27 violated safety regulations.
As per the complaint, the captain requested that his acquaintance be served business class cuisine and that the crew makes sure the cockpit looks welcoming before allowing her in.
An airline representative confirmed that the company received the crew’s complaint on March 3. “Air India has formed a committee to investigate the issues raised,” the official added.
For the first time since March 3, the DGCA has requested the flight crew’s presence on Friday.
The complaint claims that problems aboard AI 915 started even before boarding. After waiting longer than expected for the pilots, the cabin personnel went to the aircraft without ever seeing them.
Along with the passengers, the pilots boarded the aircraft. The captain allegedly ordered the crew to alert him if any business class seats became available after that because he wanted to upgrade a friend who was flying economy. There weren’t, the team told him.
The complaint claims that the captain instructed a crew member to bring his female acquaintance to the cockpit and instructed them to retrieve some pillows for her comfort from the bunk.