According to sources in the airline, the conflict began after the captain of flight AI 611 asked his copilot to take notes of critical data for the flight prior to take-off. The co-pilot, instead of complying with the request, is alleged to have physically attacked his colleague.
The captain involved reportedly complained to superiors after landing in Delhi about the copilot, who airline staff told local media has previously been the subject of complaints from colleagues about "his 'rude and unbecoming' behavior in the cockpit and questioned his state of mind."
The incident comes just days after the Indian Commercial Pilots Association wrote a letter to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation [DGCA] warning that its junior pilots were being overworked by the airline, which demanded that they work overtime, without extra remuneration or the possibility of taking leave.
"At times of equipment malfunction, turbulence or emergency, a pilot must remain calm… How can an Air India pilot perform his duties in such a manner when he is already highly stressed?"
On Sunday it was reported that the DGCA was consulting with medical experts over the introduction of more stringent checks on the mental state of pilots. These could include regular mental health checkups and psychometric testing for pilots, who currently undergo assessment only at the beginning of their flying career, whereas physical fitness tests are carried out every six months.
