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'Hullabaloo unfortunate...': DGCA chief on reports of airlines' snags, glitches
The DGCA chief's comments come amid multiple reports of technical glitches and mechanical failures involving domestic airlines, including SpiceJet.
An aircraft may 'continue to be used for air operation subject to compliance' to rules and regulations, Arun Kumar, the chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said Thursday, a day after the national watchdog cut SpiceJet's summer schedule by half based on findings from its 'spot checks... inspections'.
The DGCA chief played down the 'hullabaloo over recent events surrounding our airlines' and said every aviation industry dealt with minor issues.
"Hullabaloo over recent events concerning our airlines is unfortunate. An aircraft is a complex machine and has many components... it may continue to be used for air operation subject to compliance of airworthiness requirements."
“... diversions, turn-backs, abandoned take-offs, precautionary/priority/emergency landings, missed approaches, technical snags... but which aviation market does not have these issues?"
Meanwhile, the DGCA was today quoted, also by ANI, as saying: "Based on reports of increased engg (engineering)-related occurrences in scheduled airlines in recent times, DGCA conducted several audit/spot checks…"
The DGCA said these indicated ‘improper identification of cause of a reported defect, increasing trend of MEL releases and insufficient certifying staff’.
All airlines, the DGCA said, had been instructed to ‘make available required type-rated certifying staff… for ensuring defects are properly rectified before aircraft is released for operations’.
The DGCA chief's comments come amid multiple reports of technical glitches and mechanical failures involving domestic airlines, including SpiceJet.
In connection with these glitches, earlier this month SpiceJet was served a notice over 'poor internal safety oversight… inadequate maintenance actions'.
Post that notice spot checks were conducted for five days (53 on 48 SpiceJet planes) but no major violations were found, the government told Parliament.
On Wednesday the aviation watchdog seemed to further clampdown on the airline - cancelling 50 per cent of its approved scheduled for eight weeks.
However, since the airline was already only operating at that level, existing flight schedules are unlikely to be affected. SpiceJet has also underlined its commitment to 'ensuring a safe operation for our passengers and crew'.
READ | SpiceJet responds after DGCA cuts airline's flight operations by 50%
Between May 1 and July 6 there were many 'incidents' - as the DGCA and airline called them - ranging from cracked windscreens to malfunctioning instruments.
Apart from SpiceJet, last Sunday a Sharjah-Hyderabad IndiGo flight was diverted to Pakistan's Karachi after the pilot reported a technical snag.
That was the second time in quick succession an Indian jet was forced to land in Pak. The previous incident involved a SpiceJet plane.
Also this month a Bangkok-Delhi Vistara airline engine failed after it landed in the national capital. And last month it was fined ₹10 lakh for allowing a co-pilot to land an aircraft at Indore despite not having the requisite training.
With input from ANI
