India, June 22 -- The civil aviation regulator has come down hard on Air India, over several "systemic failures", warning of a suspension of licence if these continued to remain unaddressed. The deficits/oversights highlighted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) may not be connected with the tragic air crash in Ahmedabad earlier this month, but it is telling that this scrutiny came against that backdrop, and it is hard to ignore the larger malaise they hint at.

While an investigation is underway to establish the factors that caused the crash, the problems the DGCA highlighted are deeply worrying. The regulator's order to remove three airline staffers cites failures in crew scheduling, compliance, monitoring, and internal ...