National carrier Air India has suspended one of its executive pilots for allegedly behaving in an abusive manner with a senior DGCA official over sanitisation issues during a simulator training session, a source said. The official involved in the incident here last week is also from Air India and on deputation at the DGCA. According to the source, the DGCA official filed an official complaint with Air India. Following the complaint, the pilot has been suspended pending investigation, the source added.

"After carrying out standardisation checks of two pilots on B-777 simulator, the DGCA official was filing the report. At that time, the pilot entered the briefing room with a box of masks and a few bottles of sanitisers. "He started arguing why such a requirement is there from DGCA to sanitise the simulators. He was told categorically that all ATOs Approved Training Organisations are required to adhere to the guidelines of DGCA," the source said, quoting the official-s complaint. At this stage, the source said the pilot became abusive.