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DGCA checks finds shortage of trained staff to certify aircraft
The DGCA’s checks also found issues in clearances granted by aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs), said officials familiar with the matter.
In view of multiple incidents on passenger aircraft over in recent weeks, the aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said it conducted spot checks and found lapses in availability of engineering staff certified to clear aircraft for flying.
The DGCA’s checks also found issues in clearances granted by aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs), said officials familiar with the matter.
According to one official, it was found that causes of reported defects were not being identified properly. Also, an increasing trend of minimum equipment list (MEL) releases was seen.
An MEL is a list of certified equipment issued by the DGCA. A certified AME is allowed to release an aircraft for flying if this listed equipment is not available, for a specific period of time, until the repairs are done.
Another issue the regulator found was unavailability of required certifying staff to look after multiple scheduled flights in a short interval.
The rules state that aircraft should be released only by staff holding a B1/B2 category AME licence.
The DGCA has asked the airlines to send certified staff at all their base and transit stations/ airports and ensure availability of required tools and equipment. It also suggested that the airlines, as on option, send their certifying staff on flight duties.
Pointing out that the airlines are not obeying rules, the DGCA said that it has found that the airlines are “restoring to frequent one- off authorisation to category A certifying staff” at transit stations, which is not in line with the existing regulatory provisions.
The regulator has asked airlines to comply with Monday’s order by July 28.
Officials close to the matter said that this was one of the outcomes of the meeting held by Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday.
Aviation Expert Vipul Saxena said, “This order is a ‘confession of DGCA’ as the DGCA itself has quoted that Category ‘A’ certification, which is
not in line with regulatory provisions, is being practiced by airlines. It is only now that DGCA has decided to regulate it better through this order keeping in view blatant use of Category A and other major observations that came on records during the spot checks.”
Saxena said that this order has been issued “too late” and should have been issued earlier. “I am still sceptical of its absolute implementation unless DGCA increases it surveillance and spot check Program,” Saxena concluded.
