New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show-cause notice to an Air India pilot amid safety concerns on flights AI-358 and AI-357, pertaining to aircraft dispatch, Minimum Equipment List (MEL) compliance, and flight crew decision-making.

DGCA, in its notice, said that the pilot accepted the aircraft despite repeated snags and system degradation.

The civil aviation authority noted that there was a smell of smoke reported near a door in the AI-358 flight.

DGCA in the show cause notice said, "Whereas, it has been observed that M/s Air India Limited, during the operation of Flight AI-358 (and related operations of AI-357), serious safety concerns arose pertaining to aircraft dispatch, Minimum Equipmen...