DGCA suggests actions to improve mental health of flight crew and air traffic controllers

Radhika Bansal

23 Feb 2023

To ensure the mental well-being of flight crew and air traffic controllers, the civil aviation watchdog DGCA has proposed various measures, including mental health assessment during the medical evaluations and peer support programme.

A circular will be issued to airlines and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to put in place the necessary provisions to implement the recommendations, a senior DGCA official said on Wednesday, February 22. Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) come under AAI.

Amid concerns about the mental health of flight crew and ATCOs, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) set up an expert panel. The panel identified three major domains where measures can be taken. They are "mental health assessment during the medical assessments, Peer Support Programme (PSP), and pre-employment psychological assessment," the DGCA said in a release.

The expert panel comprised experienced DGCA officers, air safety, clinical aerospace medicine and mental health experts (psychologists). The aim was to "provide best practices and guidance for operators and stakeholders in the field of mental health promotion," the release said.

According to the DGCA official, the circular will come into effect from May 31.

The panel has also recommended some quick and effective methods to assess mental health that can easily be performed by the DGCA-empanelled medical examiners during the medical examination.

”These testing instruments consist of small questionnaires and interview techniques only. Hence, they will not substantially impact the current medical examination process for the license holders as well as the medical examiners. A separate, standalone, and customized training by a trained clinical psychologist for the flight crew/ATCOs to recognize and manage the adverse effects of mental health conditions has (also) been recommended,” the release said.

The DGCA has asked scheduled and non-scheduled operators, the AAI and the Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) to introduce a PSP for their employees.

”This proactive and non-punitive program will assist and support flight crew/ATCOs in recognising, coping with and overcoming any problem, which might negatively affect their ability to exercise the privileges of their licence safely… The peers involved in the programme shall be supported by a mental health professional,” the release said.

According to the release, it is recommended that mental health promotion be embedded within the Safety Management System (SMS) of the AOP holder/AAI (for ATCOs), subject to the maintenance of confidentiality.

Another recommendation is that each organisation may have its own customised ’psychological assessment’ process using validated and reliable tools to match their organisational requirements and the available resources.

The pre-employment psychological assessment should be able to identify the safety-critical dimensions related to their function and role within the operator and should include at least the assessment criteria for the domain knowledge, skills and abilities through cognitive tests.

”The psychological assessment tools should be validated and performed or overseen by a clinical psychologist with acquired knowledge in aviation relevant to the operating environment. It should be undertaken at least within the past 24 months before commencing line flying or ATCO duties unless the operator can demonstrate that the psychological assessment undertaken more than 24 months ago is still adequate for the risk mitigation,” the release said.

Further, the DGCA said whenever there are concerns regarding the mental state of a flight crew or ATCO, a detailed clinical mental health assessment needs to be undertaken at one of the Indian Air Force Boarding Centres.

ALSO READ - Air traffic controllers to strictly work in shifts to avoid fatigue at work

”Such cases shall be referred by the organisation to DGCA Medical Directorate for permission for special medical examination,” it added.

Based on international best practices, some of the air operator permit holders in India undertake a ‘psychological assessment’ of all pilots before their flying duties.

“To help pilots and ATCOs to perform their best in the particular environment of the respective organisations and to have better quality and cost-effective recruitment decisions, it is recommended that each organisation should have their own customized ‘Psychological Assessment’ process using validated and reliable tools to match its organizational requirements and the available resources,” the statement added.

ALSO READ - DGCA sets new norms for duty timings of air traffic controllers

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Flight operations begin in Bengal’s Cooch Behar airport with IndiaOne Air

Radhika Bansal

23 Feb 2023

Flight operations under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) began from Cooch Behar Airport on Tuesday, February 21 with an IndiaOne Air flight taking off from there, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said in Kolkata.

Flagged off by Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik, the flight to Kolkata departed at 3:05 PM from Cooch Behar.

https://twitter.com/aairhqer/status/1627995817830400000

Earlier in the day, the flight landed at Cooch Behar Airport at 1:55 PM from NSCBI Airport in Kolkata. Passengers along with the flight crew were welcomed there with flowers.

The new flight operations at Cooch Behar Airport will give a further boost to economic activity in the region by connecting it to different parts of the country, the AAI said in a statement. The plane will fly between Bhubaneswar and Cooch Behar via Jamshedpur and Kolkata.

Flight operations begin in Bengal’s Cooch Behar airport with IndiaOne Air flight

Earlier, the CEO of IndiaOne Air, Arun Kumar Singh, had said that the airline initially has plans to operate around five flights a week and operate daily flights in two months.

The airline currently operates flights between Bhubaneswar and Jeypore, Jeypore and Vizag, Bhubaneswar and Jamshedpur, and between Jamshedpur and Kolkata.

https://twitter.com/AAI_Official/status/1627637291480133634

The Cooch Behar airport is located on 174 acres of land. The length of the runway is 1069 metres, while the width is 30 metres. The terminal building can handle 100 passengers at one time - 50 arrival and 50 departure. The airport will also cater to tourists to and from Bhutan.

Situated on 174 acres, the Cooch Behar airport has a single runway of 1069mX30m, less than three times the length of Kolkata airport's runway. It is a licensed airport with a parking area for one ATR twin-engine turboprop aircraft, meant to fly short distances. The airport has a terminal of 2100 sqm and can handle 0.1 million passengers annually. The Cooch Behar airport happens to be one of the oldest airports that had stopped operations since 1995. In 2004, AAI representatives visited the airport and attempts were made to revive operations.

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Air India to get fleet insurance from top insurance companies

Radhika Bansal

22 Feb 2023

Top insurance companies, such as Tata AIG General Insurance, are competing to provide insurance coverage to the Tata Group-owned Air India fleets for the next financial year (2023-24). This includes insurance coverage for new planes that would be delivered in the next financial year.

During the upcoming fiscal year, Air India has a variety of alternatives for insurance coverage for its aircraft. According to Business Standard, several multinational corporations with offices in Europe met with airline representatives in London to go over the specifics of the insurance agreements.

Over 500 aircraft have been ordered in bulk by the airline from both Boeing and Airbus. In addition to the many more that will arrive on short-term leases, delivery of some of those aircraft will start this year.

The New India Assurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company, United India Insurance, and National Insurance Company are among the companies vying for the business alongside Tata AIG General Insurance.

Air India to get fleet insurance from top insurance companies

This year, Air India was in a better position to negotiate the terms of its aircraft insurance due to its present membership in the Tata Group and affiliation with Singapore Airlines. The airline will probably investigate all of its possibilities to obtain the finest offer.

Airlines pay millions of dollars in premiums for fleet insurance. Over USD 3 billion was spent last year to maintain 117 Air India planes and 24 Air India Express aircraft. Around USD 32 million of this was allocated just for the Air India fleet.

ALSO READ - Air India takes INR 60,800 crore cover for fleet insurance

The crisis between Russia and Ukraine is one of many international variables that have increased the cost of aeroplane insurance. The new management in India and London engaged in extensive negotiations before deciding on the insurance premium for Air India for the previous year.

Although the premium was a little higher than the INR 31 million it paid the year before, Air India ultimately received a decent deal on a cover of USD 8 billion for its aircraft. The premium amount for the upcoming fiscal year has not yet been determined.

Last year, New India Assurance took the largest share with 40%, followed by Tata AIG with 30% of the coverage. To maintain their books risk-free, Indian insurance companies only keep 5% of the premium and transfer the remaining 95% to international insurers.

ALSO READ - From A350s to B777Xs, Air India finalizes the Historic 470 Aircraft deal with Airbus & Boeing

Recently, Air India made significant contracts with Boeing and Airbus for 470 planes, including 210 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, 40 A350s, 190 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, 20 787s, and 10 777X aircraft.

(With Inputs from Business Standard)

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SpiceJet plans to raise funds & convert outstanding liabilities into equity shares

Radhika Bansal

22 Feb 2023

SpiceJet said its board will meet on Friday to consider options to raise funds as well as to convert certain outstanding liabilities into equity shares of the company. The no-frills airline, which has been grappling with multiple headwinds, including legal woes, is looking to raise fresh capital through the issuance of eligible securities to qualified institutional buyers.

“This is to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Company in its meeting scheduled to be held on February 24, 2023 (Friday), will discuss and consider, inter-alia, issuance of equity shares on a preferential basis consequent upon conversion of outstanding liabilities into equity shares of the Company, subject to applicable regulatory approvals," the domestic airline informed in an exchange filing today.

Both plans will be taken up by the board of directors during its meeting scheduled for February 24. Specific details about the proposals could not be immediately ascertained.

SpiceJet plans to raise funds & convert outstanding liabilities into equity shares

At the board meeting on Friday, SpiceJet will also consider issuing shares on a preferential basis after converting outstanding liabilities into equity shares. The airline's total equity and liabilities stood at INR 88.11 billion (USD 1.06 billion) as of September 30, while cash and cash equivalents were INR 66.08 million.

In December last year, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh told shareholders that the company is engaged with investment bankers to raise USD 200 million to achieve its plans. He had also said the increase in the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to INR 1,500 crore will go a long way in providing much-needed stability to the sector.

ALSO READ - SpiceJet and Go First to get funds under modified ECLGS

“The infusion of additional funds will help SpiceJet normalise its obligations, unground its fleet and induct new planes into our fleet… we have also completed a series of settlements with most of our major partners including manufacturers and lessors setting the stage for our seamless growth and expansion,” he had said.

On Tuesday, shares of the airline declined nearly 2% to INR 37.60 apiece in the afternoon trade on the BSE.

SpiceJet is yet to announce its earnings for the third quarter ended December 2022 (Q3 FY23). Though, it reported a consolidated net loss of INR 833 crore for the quarter that ended September 2022 (Q2) as compared to a loss of INR 570.5 crore in the year-ago quarter. The consolidated revenue from operations rose by 45% to INR 1954 crore from INR 1345 crore in the year-ago period.

The Gurugram-based airline last reported a profit in the quarter ending December 2021. Competition-wise, SpiceJet is conceding market share to new entrants Akasa Air and Tata Group airlines. SpiceJet’s market share slipped to 7.3% in January from 7.7% in December.

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Singapore Airlines reports the highest-ever quarterly operating profit of $755 million

Radhika Bansal

22 Feb 2023

Tata group's Air India partner Singapore Airlines posted the highest-ever quarterly operating profit of USD 755 million in the quarter ending December 2022.

Strong momentum in forward passenger sales is said to be the main reason behind this result. The airline carried 18.8 million passengers, up ninefold year-on-year (YoY) leading to a record 87.4% passenger load factor.

Forward sales remain strong across all markets with demand for air freight expected to face headwinds. In Q4, demand is expected to be robustly supported by the recovery in East Asia as travel restrictions ease across China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan.

For the third quarter of FY2022/23, the SIA Group's total revenue increased by 8.0% to SGD 4,846 million (USD 3.62 billion) compared to SGD 4,488 million (USD 3.35 billion) in the second quarter of FY2022/23. And the total expenditure decreased by 7.4% to SGD 4,091 million (USD 3.05 billion) from SGD 3,810 million (USD 2.84 billion) in the preceding quarter.

ALSO READ - Singapore Airlines had a successful Q2 as a result of increased travel demand

Meanwhile, the merger process of Vistara into Air India remains on track. The Merged entity is four to five times larger in scale compared to Vistara which is expected to bolster Singapore Airlines' presence in India along with strengthening its multi-hub strategy.

ALSO READ - Air India and Vistara begin their integration process

For Singapore Airlines, deeper collaboration with like-minded airlines is an integral part of the group’s partnership strategy.

Recently, ET reported that Tata-owned Air India has begun a merger process with Vistara. Air India and Vistara announced a merger last year with the deadline ending in March 2024. The merger is likely to be a smooth affair because Air India has inducted many former Vistara employees.

ALSO READ - From A350s to B777Xs, Air India finalizes the Historic 470 Aircraft deal with Airbus & Boeing

Air India hit headlines recently by signing a deal with Boeing and Airbus to buy 470 aircraft worth USD 70 billion that marked the largest order in aviation history. This is also Air India's first order since 2005.

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10 Reasons Why Your Pilots Should be Paid More 

100knots

22 Feb 2023

While the public might perceive pilots as one of the world's highest-paid professionals, the reality is very different. In today's world, with the advent of low-cost travel and cutthroat margins, the profession has been reduced to a mere shadow of its former self, at least in terms of remuneration. Gone are the days of rock-solid contracts and hefty pensions and benefits; today, the money is barely keeping up with a mid-management role and without an increment in sight. 

We present ten reasons why it's time the pendulum swung the other way.  

1. They do a difficult and dangerous job that probably isn't valued as much anymore First, a note about the autopilots. Yes, they are brilliant, but they aren't so good that the pilots can get busy browsing Instagram while flying. The autopilots are not what fly the airplanes, it's the pilots that fly the airplanes with the use of autopilots. Not very different from how an accountant uses Tally, or a photographer uses Photoshop. So contrary to what most people think, the pilots of today are still very much involved in maneuvering the airplane. So a part of the reason that air travel is so safe today is because pilots are doing their jobs well. And we won’t make the argument of them being responsible for 300 lives because even doctors are responsible for all their patients. But we have yet to see a doctor operate on themselves. The pilots are (by virtue of it being an occupation hazard) right in the heat of the battle. 

2. They are always one flight away from losing their careers I've delivered a million passengers over 40 years in the air, and in the end, I'll be judged on 208 seconds.  ” - that isn’t just a line uttered by Tom Hanks in the movie - Sully; it's the reality of this job. You might have landed airplanes in marginal weather. You might have nursed a jet back to base after an inflight emergency, and yet all of that counts for naught if you ever get involved in an incident that was probably not your fault. For example, the BA captain who pulled off a Sully before Sully was relegated to the wayside and found himself out of work despite doing a fantastic job.  While that was a case of a poorly handled event by the company, it’s almost an industry norm that pilots who’ve done well in dealing with non-normal situations usually get a raw deal at the end of it. And god forbid if you actually made a mistake. Your airline will probably give you the sack, and other airlines won’t touch you with a barge pole. Not to mention that you will be grounded until the incident investigation is over, which means loss of pay because pilots only really make money when they are flying and not sitting on the ground.  

3. They are checked and tested to maintain proficiency constantly Every pilot, regardless of airline, airplane, or nationality, has to prove that they are proficient enough at flying their airplane every six months. This means heading to the simulator every 6 months to deal with all sorts of non-normal situations in a controlled environment. They have to pass these exams to the standards set by the national aviation authority, or else it’s back to school. And if those exams aren’t enough, they undergo a medical check once a year to make sure things are in order. And god forbid if you fall prey to a hereditary disease you aren’t aware of. Even so-called routine issues like diabetes or high blood pressure could be enough to ground you for life.   

4. Aviation is the world’s most volatile industry, and the pilots are in the hottest seat  Global recession, pandemic, wars, or even just freak weather phenomenons (remember Eyjafjallajökull - the volcano in Iceland) name a calamity, and airlines are usually the first to feel the heat. Regardless of the airline's location, it’s usually not economically isolated from events thousands of miles away. Also, when things are stable, many airlines are unsheltered from other economic shocks like a sudden hike in oil prices. So when an airline starts to bleed, it usually chooses to ground airplanes, and pilots get grounded with it, which means the pilots usually get the boot at the earliest.  

5. Every time they change jobs, they lose their position, pay grade, and income Let's say you are the VP of operations at an MNC. You’ve spent a good part of two decades getting there, and you are eyeing the C-suite for your next role. So you call a bunch of recruiters, spread the word around, and if the price is right, pretty soon, you are admiring the view from your new corner office. Not so for pilots. You see, when a captain who’s spent 20 years at an airline switches companies, he will be the junior most captain in the company. This usually means a drop from his current salary, sometimes to the tune of 30 percent. If he’s earned his way to be an instructor or a management pilot, the new airline won’t recognize that. So he’s bound to be a 'run-of-the-mill' captain for a fair amount of time. And if you happen to be a first officer, it’s even worse because you join a queue for command right at the bottom of the list.   

6. Compulsory Retirement is at 65, but airlines rarely hire after 60  Training pilots is expensive. When an airline hires someone, regardless of experience level, they have to put each new candidate through a rigorous training program. This usually costs the airline upwards of 75K USD. Rightly so, the airlines need to hedge their bets on who's most likely to give an assured return on their investment. And considering each pilot has to pass a medical check every year (every six months when you are over 60), airlines wouldn't want to hire candidates who are more likely to have medical issues that pilots above 60 are more prone to have.   

7. Their expertise isn’t built overnight, so their roles are also super niche You spent your twenties busting your buns, flying dangerous missions in single-engine airplanes. You spent your thirties doing multiple sector days on turboprops or narrow bodies. You then spent your forties gaining good command experience. And after almost three decades of refining the art of flying, you now find yourself at the pinnacle of the airliner world, flying an Airbus A380. You are the bee's knees, the cat’s whiskers, and a handful of you have the knowledge and experience to command the world's largest jet until a world event brings aviation to a grinding halt. So you go out to look for work, and what do you get - the keys to a bus! The road-going type! That’s exactly what happened to a bunch of Qantas pilots who were reduced to driving buses of the ground-hugging variety. The specificity of the job makes you delve deep into an extremely niche slot, leaving you rather unequipped to do something different straight off the bat.  

8. They are Lone Rangers and usually without protection Most airlines the world over have banned pilots from having unions. While the pilots themselves might be to be blamed for this (the great Australian pilot dispute being one very good example of why unions aren't encouraged), today, the lack of a pilot body has left aviators without representation and protection. This means the pilots don’t have bargaining power for wages, anyone to bat for them if they get involved in incidents, and no one to look out for their welfare. This leaves them at the mercy of management. And we all know how dangerous it can be when power isn’t kept in check.   

9. They usually have spent upwards of 200K just to qualify for a job Air travel might have lost its charm, but being able to take control of a 200-tonne machine that’s doing eight miles a minute is still the stuff of dreams for many. The airlines know this all too well, which is why they choose to benefit from this passion. Today many carriers will only hire candidates with a ‘type rating,’ which often brings up the training cost to become eligible for a job up to USD 200K, which the candidate often pays out of pocket. Usually, these starry-eyed individuals will do this without having a job guarantee. A really stiff price to pay for “following your dreams.” Also, remember that a pilot really has only two proper pay raises in his career. Once when he becomes a First Officer and the next when he becomes a Captain. After that, the gains are incremental. 

10. They are always on a time limit to find a new job Let’s say you’ve had enough hotel rooms, flying all-nighters, and bad food (all part of being an airline pilot), and you want to take a sabbatical. Or let’s say you want to take time off to get an education. Well, as a pilot, you better make your time away from the cockpit less than a year because most airlines won’t hire you if you haven’t flown for more than 12 months. And that’s regardless of your prior flying experience. 

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