Pilot sues Air India over B777-200LR emergency oxygen supply

The Mumbai High Court ordered India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on December 19, 2024, to examine concerns raised by a pilot about the emergency oxygen supply on certain B777-200LRs operated by Air India (AI, Delhi International). Justices B P Colabawalla and Somasekhar Sundaresa made the order after a pilot filed a claim that the aircraft did not have adequate emergency oxygen supplies when operating long-haul routes between India and the United States. The court heard the petitioner pilot refused to operate a B777-200LR flight between Bengaluru International and San Francisco in January 2024 until a "safe route" was found. He was stood down and later terminated. Air India's practice of operating certain leased B777-200LRs on routes to North America has been the subject of sustained criticism from pilots, who say the oxygen carried onboard will only last around 12 minutes. Certain pilots say that in depressurisation events, it is necessary to descend to around 10,000 feet, and this may not always be possible within that time, especially when flying over regions of extensive mountainous terrain.<br/>