New Delhi: India's aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday issued a show cause notice to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and Head of Safety, Security and Quality Functions Henry Donohoe, asking them to explain why the airline did not report an incident in which a pilot allowed a female friend into the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27, 2023, media reported.

According to a senior official at the DGCA, a complaint was lodged by a cabin crew member of Air India about a pilot allowing a female friend into the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27, 2023, the reports said.

Further, there was also a delay in investigating the incident.

Both the Air India CEO and the head of flight safety have been given 15 days to respond to the show cause notices.

A senior official at DGCA reported the violations of the regulator's safety instructions by Air India.

Air India has not yet issued a statement on the matter.

In an earlier directive this month, DGCA instructed Air India to remove the entire crew of the Dubai-Delhi flight from the roster until investigations are completed.

Air India responded to the reported incident on April 21, stating that it had taken the matter seriously and that an investigation was ongoing.

The airline also reiterated that unauthorised persons are not permitted to enter the cockpit, and doing so would be a violation of regulations.