New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has summoned Air India’s outgoing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson following the incident of severe turbulence mid-air on the Phuket-Delhi flight earlier this month.
Stepping up its scrutiny of Air India following a series of operational concerns, the Civil Aviation Secretary, senior officials of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held a meeting to review broader safety, according to MoCA sources.
It was decided to call Wilson days after Air India flight AI-2379, an Airbus A320 operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, suffered a sudden loss of altitude of about 300 feet while cruising.
Thirteen passengers and four cabin crew members suffered injuries and were taken to hospital after the plane landed safely at Indiara Gandhi International airport.
There were 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members on board the flight.
After Air India described it as a brief turbulence-related event that caused a momentary change in altitude, the DGCA subsequently classified it as a “serious incident” and handed over the investigation to the AAIB.
The Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder of the aircraft have been secured for analysis.
Both pilots underwent mandatory psychoactive substance screening after landing.
According to the Civil Aviation ministry the initial screening result of the pilot-in-command required confirmatory laboratory testing, with the final report yet to come.
Both pilots have been de-rostered pending completion of the investigation.
Air India is going through a leadership transition, as former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam is set to take charge after Wilson stepped down.