Tata Sons appoints ex-Civil Aviation Secretary Amid Mounting Regulatory Pressure on Air India

Tata Sons has appointed former civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola as a senior advisor to bolster oversight and government engagement for its aviation business. He is stepping in at a critical moment as Air India faces heightened regulatory scrutiny, operational challenges, and a leadership transition, as reported by The Economic Times.The announcement of the move on February 17, 2026, indicates the determination of Tata to stabilize the transformation of the airline after the obstacles in the safety and compliance challenges and the continued investigation of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).### Regulatory Environment and Operating HeadwindsAs reported by The Economic Times , the rationale behind Tata Sons' hiring Kharola on board is that the company is currently facing compliance and operational challenges that are afflicting Air India and its group companies. In the last two years, the DGCA has given out 84 show-cause notices to Air India and 65 to its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, whereas IndiGo, despite its bigger fleet, has received 98 show-cause notices, which demonstrates increased scrutiny. Also, the DGCA had recently fined Air India a sum of Rs 1 Cr, on the basis of flying an aircraft eight times without a valid airworthiness permit. This has undermined the confidence of the safety compliance structure of the airline and put the top management decisions in question.Kharola, an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1985, was Civil Aviation Secretary between February 2019 and September 2021. He facilitated the privatisation process, which ended with the takeover of Air India by Tata in January 2022. He has also worked as the chairman of the airline. According to sources in The Economic Times, he was personally selected by the chairman of Tata Sons N. Chandrasekaran to assist with delicate government relationships and regulatory relationships.It is against this background that Air India is also on a quest to find a replacement to its CEO Campbell Wilson, and this confirms that the stability of leadership is another strategic imperative.### Air India Regulatory Metrics & Compliance Indicators (Last 24 Months)| Regulatory Item | Count | Notes || :--- | :--- | :--- || DGCA Show Cause Notices – Air India | 84 | Higher regulatory scrutiny compared to past averages || Show Cause Notices – Air India Express | 65 | Subsidiary compliance challenges || Show Cause Notices – IndiGo | 98 | Comparison metric with a larger fleet || Airworthiness Penalty Instances | 8 | Aircraft operated without valid permits |( Sources & Links: Data compiled from The Economic Times article)### Industry Expert ViewpointVenkat R. Sumantran, chairman of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo), was quoted as saying that> “ The role of regulatory navigation and government coordination is as vital as improvement of operations to the airlines in the highly regulated industry of India.”### Way Ahead for Air IndiaThe introduction of Pradeep Singh Kharola in the Tata Sons aviation management has been an indicator of a more intense approach towards governance and regulator relationship, and strategic control, as per the reports of The Economic Times . Having more than 80 DGCA notices in the last two years and recent penalties due to compliance failures, the initiative by Tata Sons is an acknowledgment of the need for regulatory reforms in the aviation industry.### INSIGHTS: Tata Sons–Air India Development| Key Point | Detail || :--- | :--- || Appointment | Tata Sons brings in former Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola as senior advisor (Feb 2026) – News18 || Regulatory Context | Air India received 84 DGCA notices in two years; penalty over 8 airworthiness lapses – Economic Times || Strategic Aim | Strengthen regulatory coordination and governance amid operational and leadership transition pressures |### Referenced Articles1. The Economic Times – Tata Sons appoints former civil aviation secretary as Air India faces regulatory hurdles (ET Bureau, Feb 17, 2026). Read full ET article2. Moneycontrol – Tata Sons taps former civil aviation secretary to steady Air India amid regulatory pressure (Feb 17, 2026). Read full Moneycontrol article