Air India bars crew from operating flights with family members on duty

Air India says sometimes flight duties are being performed by immediate family members, either as pilot in command, co-pilot or cabin crew

National carrier Air India has barred pilots and cabin crew from operating flights where their immediate family members are also on duty.

There have been occasions when flight duties were performed by immediate family members on the same flight.

Citing "flight safety", the airline has now barred such a practice.

"In the interest of flight safety, the practice of immediate family members -- wife, husband, children, sisters and brothers -- performing flight duties on the same flight, is henceforth prohibited," Air India said in a circular issued on Monday.

The airline noted that if such a duty is assigned, the crew member concerned should get it changed.

"In case such a duty is assigned, it would be the responsibility of the crew to bring the same to the notice of the scheduling section concerned for corrective action," the circular said.

According to Air India, it has been noticed that at times flight duties are being performed by immediate family members, on the same flight, either as pilot in command, co-pilot or cabin crew.

At Air India, there are many crew members whose relatives are also working at the airline.

The national airline has cleared an enhanced operational safety audit, carried out by global airlines body International Air Transport Association (IATA), with an extended validation of up to two years.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in June 2013, mandated the enhanced IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) process for all registration renewal audits, taking place in or after September 2015.

In January this year, Air India had said it became the first domestic airline to have cleared the E-IOSA programme with an extended validation till January 2018.