New Delhi: A record 422 air safety violations were detected by India’s
civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
in 2016 against 275 in 2015.
According to the data provided by the DGCA in 422 air safety violations, 272 pilots including crew members were suspended, 42 pilots were kept off roaster, and 108 pilots got a warning.
SpiceJet reported the highest number of suspensions in 2016, followed by Jet Airways, 53 and 41 IndiGo pilots and crew members facing suspensions for air safety violations.
Massive rise in air safety violations in 2016 comes at a time when the United Nations’ aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is coming to India later this year for a 10-day safety audit of DGCA.
The outcome of the audit will have consequences for the expansion plans of airlines such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Air India and the international launch plans of the Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara, which will meet government norms to go international in 2018.
In 2012, after an audit of the DGCA, ICAO had placed India in its list of 13 worst-performing nations in terms of air safety oversight.
This had triggered an audit by the US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and in January 2014 the latter downgraded India’s ranking, citing a lack of adequate regulatory oversight. However, after 15 months the ratings were restored in 2015.
During the 15 month downgrade period, Indian carriers were not allowed to add new routes to the US or sign agreements with US airlines.
Interestingly, finance minister Arun Jaitley in the annual budget for 2017-18 announced on February 1 has given DGCA a hike of a massive 800 percent to Rs 230 crore from Rs 28 crore during the last budget.
Sources said with 800 per cent hike in budget, DGCA would undergo further modernization and put on roll more experts and investigators besides ensuring international standards in its functioning as was suggested by the ICAO and USFAA earlier.
To Read the News in Full 03/02/17 New Indian Express
According to the data provided by the DGCA in 422 air safety violations, 272 pilots including crew members were suspended, 42 pilots were kept off roaster, and 108 pilots got a warning.
SpiceJet reported the highest number of suspensions in 2016, followed by Jet Airways, 53 and 41 IndiGo pilots and crew members facing suspensions for air safety violations.
Massive rise in air safety violations in 2016 comes at a time when the United Nations’ aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is coming to India later this year for a 10-day safety audit of DGCA.
The outcome of the audit will have consequences for the expansion plans of airlines such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Air India and the international launch plans of the Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara, which will meet government norms to go international in 2018.
In 2012, after an audit of the DGCA, ICAO had placed India in its list of 13 worst-performing nations in terms of air safety oversight.
This had triggered an audit by the US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and in January 2014 the latter downgraded India’s ranking, citing a lack of adequate regulatory oversight. However, after 15 months the ratings were restored in 2015.
During the 15 month downgrade period, Indian carriers were not allowed to add new routes to the US or sign agreements with US airlines.
Interestingly, finance minister Arun Jaitley in the annual budget for 2017-18 announced on February 1 has given DGCA a hike of a massive 800 percent to Rs 230 crore from Rs 28 crore during the last budget.
Sources said with 800 per cent hike in budget, DGCA would undergo further modernization and put on roll more experts and investigators besides ensuring international standards in its functioning as was suggested by the ICAO and USFAA earlier.
To Read the News in Full 03/02/17 New Indian Express
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