India, June 23 -- 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 accountability, all of which are non-negotiable not just for operational smoothness but also flight safety. And if indeed there were faults of omission or commission, accountability must be fixed - more so when DGCA talks of "repeated lapses" by key airline personnel. That said, as the airline management is made to answer for its lapses and oversight - pointed out in several whistleblower complaints much before the Ahmedabad crash - the regulator also faces questions. DGCA's scrutiny comes post facto and falls short of its remit to the extent it failed to act meaningfully when problems were raised before it in the past. That safety and quality at Air India and Air India Express were flagged in an assessment report as "perfunctory" and having "minimal" contribution to the airline underscores legacy issues. As much as it points at the failure of the new owners after privatisation in treating these, it suggests that problems lingered despite DGCA's monitoring. An assurance of safety in flying can't be left solely to operators, the regulator must also be accountable....