Pilot association objects suspended pilot Arvind Kathpalia’s appointment as Director Operations

Air India has once again got itself in a controversy as the pilot association has objected to suspended pilot Arvind Kathpalia’s appointment as Director Operations.

The controversial senior pilot, who has been grounded till May for violating flying norms and failing a breath analyser test, was promoted and appointed to a Director-level post in the government-controlled Air India on Friday. The Air India Pilot Association has written a letter to the government to protest against the appointment. 

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved the appointment of Kathpalia to the post of Director (Operations) in Air India Ltd (AIL) for a period of five years, an official order said.

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Kathpalia, who is at present Executive Director in AIL, was in news after his flying licence was suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The DGCA last month suspended his flying licence for three months after he had skipped compulsory pre-flight medical test on several occasions.

According to an inquiry report, Kathpalia had said that he had driven straight to the aircraft after attending a meeting with officials of the civil aviation regulator as the flight was getting late.

However, it is mandatory for the pilots to undertake the breath analyser test to ensure that they are not drunk before entering the cockpits.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) had demanded that Kathpalia should not continue as Executive Director (operations) at Air India.

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(With Inputs from PTI )