With more AI pilots reporting sick after Guj crash, DGCA issues circular on mental health

With more AI pilots reporting sick after Guj crash, DGCA issues circular on mental health

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK  25.07.2025

New Delhi : Air India has reported an increase in sick leaves by pilots in the aftermath of the AI-171 crash on June 12, prompting Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ask airlines to take steps for mental wellbeing of crew members. “Air India’s 112 pilots, comprising 51 commanders and 61 first officers, reported sick on June 16… DGCA has already issued a medical circular regarding mental health of flight crews and air traffic controllers,” MoS for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol told Lok Sabha Thursday. DGCA had earlier this month directed Indian carriers, particularly the major ones like Air India and IndiGo, to hold a post-trauma mental health workshop for their flight crew. Several pilots, especially of Boeing 787s, have been reporting trauma after the Gujarat crash involving an aircraft of the same type. “The conversation in cockpits these days is mostly limited to what could have caused the crash. What is it that really went wrong? That is really eating us up. We are not buying the pilot suicide theory that has been fuelled by AAIB’s extremely questionable preliminary report,” said multiple pilots. The DGCA medical circular advises “quick and effective methods to assess mental health that can easily be performed by DGCA empanelled medical examiners, and the introduction of a separate, standalone and customised training capsule for the flight crew/ATCOs to recognise and manage the adverse effects of mental health conditions”.

Several pilots, especially of Boeing 787s, have been reporting trauma after the Gujarat crash involving an aircraft of the same type