DGCA to hire 100-150 people over next 6-8 months for enhanced aviation safety surveillance

Jinen Gada

30 Jul 2022

Chief Executive Arun Kumar from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), says will hire 100-150 people over the next 6-8 months to bolster air safety oversight through night checks as India’s airline fleet expands.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has rolled out a surveillance mechanism to identify non–compliance with flight safety standards and alert the authorities concerned for taking urgent corrective action to resolve the deficiencies.

The air safety issue has come into focus over the past month after several incidents of technical glitches were reported at airlines including SpiceJet, GoFIRST, IndiGo, Air India, Vistara and Air India Express related to glitches.

The regulator regularly monitors Indian airlines through an annual monitoring plan.

Engine damage, windshield cracks, smoke in the cabin, and equipment malfunction among others. As part of the annual surveillance plan for 2022, the DGCA will carry out 3,700 checks.

Based on the violations found during surveillance, spot checks, and night surveillance carried out during 2021-22, enforcement action has been taken by DGCA against responsible personnel of an airline in 21 instances of violations.

The primary focus of the initiative is to find any significant non–compliance with the applicable requirement which lowers the safety standard and affects seriously the flight safety.

A total of 177 surveillances, 497 spot checks and 169-night surveillances were carried out by the DGCA.

Such deficiencies would be conveyed in a standardised “Deficiency Reporting Form” that would explain the issue and specify the reference of the regulatory provision against which the observation was made.

"Aircraft is a complex sturdy machine with lakhs of components and its usage is very rigorous. India has a very young fleet and their flight dispatch reliability is one of the best in the world. Once in a while, technical snags are possible and a standard operating procedure as per globally approved norms is followed in case of any technical snag.Passengers affected via flight diversions or delays won't be happy but safe navigation is our priority. As per last year's data, one aircraft sees 0.6 snags in a year. There may be 1-2 technical incidents in a day across 6,000 flight movements. A pilot has to be alert and attentive when it comes to any sign of technical snags. Many times, an indicator for a technical snag may be false but a pilot has to respond to that as well as per SOP. At DGCA, we want to say that business and safety are non-negotiable.”Arun Kumar, DGCA

The direction comes as the DGCA has made a detailed surveillance programme focusing on passengers’ safety. Organisations such as scheduled airlines, non-scheduled operators, aircraft maintenance firms, design and manufacturing organisations, flying training institutes, and maintenance training institutes have been included in the programme.

ALSO READ - DGCA finds insufficient aircraft engineers during spot checks amid rising technical snags

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All new aircraft to have a secondary Flight Deck barrier - FAA | Here's what we know

Prashant-prabhakar

29 Jul 2022

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed requiring a second barrier to the flight deck on certain commercial airplanes.

Interestingly, the decision comes at a time when there has been an increase in unruly passenger incidents in the industry.

Representative | Business Insider

Flight crews keep us safe when we travel to visit loved ones, explore new places and conduct business. They, too, deserve to be protected, and this rulemaking is an important step forwardU.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg said

Apparently, the FAA was supposed to have adopted rules by 2019 under a 2018 federal law but said that procedural rules were to be followed before new regulations could be imposed.

Pete Buttigieg | Yahoo Finance

Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration put the secondary flight deck barrier on its priority rulemaking list. During 2019 and 2020, the FAA worked with aircraft manufacturers, labour partners and others to gather recommendations that are included in today’s proposal.

The Administrative Procedures Act requires FAA to follow the full rule-making process for this mandate that Congress included in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act.

From the vault- the cockpit door

The FAA mandated a new standard for cockpit doors just months after the 9/11 attacks in which terrorists took control of four commercial jetliners, in a move it said was made to better protect the cockpit from "intrusion and small arms fire or fragmentation devices, such as grenades.

The World Trade Center south tower (L) burst into flames after being struck by hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 as the north tower burns following an earlier attack by a hijacked airliner in New York City on September 11, 2001 | AARP

According to FAA estimates from 2002, the upgraded cockpit door would cost airlines between $12,000 and $17,000 each, or between $92.3 million and $120.7 million over 10 years. By April 2003, all airlines had completed the new FAA requirement to reinforce the flight deck doors on their entire fleets.

The cockpit systems today, keep the door locked unless opened by a pilot or requested by the flight attendant, which is often via a keypad on some jets, the Airbus A320 for instance- a request which can be denied by the flight crew inside. This is in contrast to before 9/11 when the flight deck door would lock but could typically be accessed by flight attendants with a key.

Representative | Business Insider

The proposed rule requires aircraft manufacturers to install a second physical barrier on airplanes produced after the rule goes into effect and is used in commercial passenger service in the United States.

The public has a 60-day window to comment on the proposed rule once it is published in the Federal Register following which, the final rule will be published by the FAA.

Source(s)

COVER: Fox Business

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IndiGo flight cancelled after plane skids off runway; No passengers injured

Jinen Gada

29 Jul 2022

An IndiGo flight from Jorhat in Assam to Kolkata skidded off the runway during take-off and a pair of its wheels got stuck in the muddy outfield.

The incident took place on Thursday when the aircraft was taxing out for take-off with 98 passengers on board and the flight was cancelled.

IndiGo plane skids off the Runway during Take-off, Wheel stuck in the mud.

After this incident, the aircraft was taken back to the bay at Jorhat for inspection. During the initial inspection, no abnormalities were observed. But, as a matter of caution, the maintenance team initiated a thorough inspection. However, the flight was cancelled.

An Airports Authority of India official told that the Indigo flight to Kolkata was cancelled after being held up for several hours at Jorhat due to a “technical issue”.

“IndiGo flight 6E-757 operating from Jorhat to Kolkata returned back to bay during departure. While taxiing out the pilot was advised that one of the main wheels had partially run over the grass adjacent to the taxiway. The pilot held the taxi procedure as a precaution and asked for necessary inspection.IndiGo said in a statement.

Earlier, a local journalist uploaded a picture on Twitter showing an aircraft, which apparently skidded off the runway and one pair of wheels got stuck in the soft grassy outfield.

"There was some technical issue with the aircraft. There were 98 passengers on board. All passengers deboarded and are safe. They waited in the terminal building and the flight was cancelled at around 8:15 pm."Official of AAI.

Tagging IndiGo, the scribe posted, "Guwahati Kolkata @indigo flight 6F 757 (6E757) slips from the runway and stuck in a muddy field in Jorhat airport in Assam. The flight was scheduled to depart at 2.20 pm but the flight was delayed after the incident."

The IndiGo flight was preparing to take off around 2:20 pm when the incident happened.

Nowadays, several untoward incidents related to IndiGo flights have happened at a time when many mid-air incidents are reported these days.

Recently, Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Lok Sabha said in a written reply stated that a total of 478 technical snag-related occurrences were reported in planes between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.

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AirAsia India fails to get an international permit; halts UDAN international

Radhika Bansal

29 Jul 2022

Tata group-owned AirAsia India's failure to get approval for international flights has hurt UDAN, the Indian government’s regional air connectivity project that also aims to link cities in Northeast India and Odisha to places abroad.

Sources said the civil aviation ministry is waiting for the low-cost airline to come under the full ownership of Tata Sons and become part of Air India, the former state-owned carrier now owned by the private conglomerate, before allowing it to operate international flights.

Tata owns an 84% stake in AirAsia India and it is understood that the group will complete the process of buying the rest of the stake by July’s end.

AirAsia India fails to get an international permit; halts UDAN international

According to the Airport Authority of India’s rules, an operator qualified as a 'designated airline' was eligible to bid for UDAN international routes in March. Under UDAN international, state governments offer 100% subsidies to airlines.

ALSO READ - AirAsia India receives approval for its first international flight in 8 years

AirAsia India won bids to operate flights on eight international routes, including destinations from Bhubaneswar, as it sought the lowest subsidy.

AirAsia India meets the condition of having 20 aircraft to fly internationally, but it has been unable to get approval as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against top executives of AirAsia Berhad, which holds a 14% stake in the airline, for allegedly lobbying the government for overseas flight permits and violating rules that prevent foreign carriers from controlling Indian operators.

The CBI, in 2018, booked AirAsia Berhad CEO Tony Fernandes along with others for allegedly trying to bribe government officials for easing rules for operating international flights.

The CBI, in 2018, booked AirAsia Berhad CEO Tony Fernandes, deputy CEO Bo Lingam, and former Tata Trust managing trustee R Venkataramanan for allegedly trying to bribe government officials for easing rules for operating international flights.

Sources said that AirAsia India, for UDAN international, has sought significantly lower subsidies than SpiceJet and IndiGo, which were the second- and third-lowest bidders. State governments want airlines to seek the lowest subsidy.

The first round of the international UDAN failed to generate much response as state governments were not amenable to bearing the subsidy burden.

AirAsia India, for UDAN international, has sought significantly lower subsidies than SpiceJet and IndiGo, which were the second- and third-lowest bidders.

“When the bidding was completed in March, AirAsia India already had 20 aircraft and was a designated airline of India which made it eligible to bid for the routes. However, the legal arm of the Ministry of Civil Aviation objected that the airline has not been permitted to operate flights on international routes and hence ineligible to operate the flights,” said a person aware of the development.

ALSO READ - Air India gets CCI’s approval to acquire the entire stake in AirAsia India

Tata group is merging AirAsia India into a subsidiary of Air India Express. It has approval from the anti-trust regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) and waiting for one from the National Company Law Tribunal.

Tata group is merging AirAsia India into a subsidiary of Air India Express.

Simultaneously, after acquiring an 84% stake in AirAsia India in 2020, the group is in the final stages of acquiring the remaining 16% stake.

“Legal approval was sought and it was decided that till the time AirAsia Berhad has any stake in the airline, it will not be permitted to operate international flights as there is an ongoing CBI investigation against the officials of the Malaysian parent."

"After it becomes a subsidiary of Air India group and Tata group owns 100% stake, it will be permitted for international flying,” a government official said.

The first round of the international UDAN failed to generate much response as state governments were not amenable to bearing the subsidy burden.

Assam, Odisha, Tripura, and Manipur participated in the international UDAN and offered to provide subsidies for connecting Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Agartala, and Imphal to multiple international destinations.

An official of the Odisha government said that the state was eager to start international flights but Air Asia India has not got the central government’s permission after winning the bid to operate flights from Bhubaneswar. “We are awaiting clarity from the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” the official said.

(With Inputs from Business Standard)

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Shares of SpiceJet fell 9.3% after DGCA halves capacity; hits 52-week low

Radhika Bansal

29 Jul 2022

Shares of SpiceJet fell as much as 9.3% on Thursday, July 28 a day after the country's aviation regulator ordered the budget carrier to slash its approved fleet to 50% this summer for eight weeks, citing multiple safety snags.

ALSO READ - DGCA orders SpiceJet to operate only 50% of approved flights

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also said that the domestic airline will be subjected to "enhanced surveillance". SpiceJet sought to reassure its customers and said there was "absolutely no impact on its flight operations" after the DGCA order.

Shares of SpiceJet fell 9.3% after DGCA halves capacity; hits 52-week low

DGCA said any increase in the number of flights will be subject to “the airline demonstrating to the satisfaction of DGCA that it has sufficient technical support and financial resources to safely and efficiently undertake such enhanced capacity.”

On March 11, the DGCA approved 4,192 weekly domestic flights of SpiceJet for this year's summer schedule, which ends on October 29. The recent order means the budget carrier will be able to operate not more than 2,096 weekly flights for the next eight weeks.

Earlier this month, the watchdog had issued a warning notice to SpiceJet after a review of incidents, which included a side windshield outer pane that cracked mid-flight and a malfunctioning indicator light.

DGCA approved 4,192 weekly domestic flights of SpiceJet for this year's summer schedule, which ends on October 29.

"SpiceJet is taking measures for arresting the trend of incidents. However, the airline needs to sustain these efforts for safe and reliable air transport service," the DGCA said in its order.

ALSO READ - DGCA finds no major safety violations during 53 spot checks on 48 SpiceJet aircraft

The move comes within days after the aviation ministry told the parliament that the DGCA did not find "any major significant finding or safety violation" in SpiceJet.

Following the update, the scrip hit its 52-week low of INR 34.60 on BSE. At 10:05 AM, it hovered around INR 35.65, 7.05% below its previous close of INR 38.30.

The stock has given a negative 3-year return of 73.94% as compared to a 56.64% rise seen in the Nifty Smallcap 100. SpiceJet is a budget airline with a market cap of INR 2,142.40 crore.

SpiceJet is a budget airline with a market cap of INR 2,142.40 crore.

SpiceJet shares, which touched on Thursday, July 28 their lowest levels since March 2020, are down about 44% so far this year.

"Domestic air travel demand tends to be very weak in September quarter, and thus, fares tend to drop on a quarter-on-quarter basis. This year, with SpiceJet's capacity curtailed, the industry should be able to support better pricing," Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note.

The shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of India's biggest airline IndiGo, rose as much as 2.9%. Indian airlines, which are on the cusp of recovery after being choked by travel closures during the peak Covid-19 pandemic, have also been affected by higher aviation turbine fuel costs.

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“No shortage of commercial pilots in India”: Scindia

Jinen Gada

29 Jul 2022

India is at the cusp of explosive growth in air travel both domestically and internationally within Asia and other international destinations. Market watchers will note all airlines in India gradually shifting their focus and placing orders for long-range/wide-body aircraft.

Initiatives by the Government of India - UDAN - Regional Connectivity Scheme are designed to make air travel convenient, accessible and cost-effective for people. These new schemes are acting as an impetus for airlines and several large orders with manufacturers have been placed and will continue to be placed.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Parliament on July 28 that there is no shortage of pilots in India at the moment.

As the skies get more crowded and business travel rises in lockstep with the resumption of normal office routines across India, flying schools and crew training academies are getting a fresh lease of life, too.

As things now stand, the sector is staring at a huge shortage of trained, type-rated pilots and ramp engineers.

"There is a huge demand for trained commercial pilots in India right now amid a pick-up in air travel, Regional airlines such as FlyBig, new airlines such as Akasa, addition of new routes by airlines, and post-pandemic pent-up demand will lead to the need for more pilots."Captain Mihir Bhagvati, president, Bombay Flying Club.

Various estimates showed that about 400-600 commercial pilots graduate every year from various flying training schools in India, whereas the country would require 1,500-2,000 pilots per year to meet the rising demand for air travel. That will mean the industry will need about 10,000 pilots over the next five years in a 'business-as-usual' situation.

Demand for more flight schools soars.

"The number of pilots receiving their Commercial Pilot Licences (CPL) in India is increasing every year, the DGCA issued 862 CPLs in 2021, an all-time high.Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Speaking about licenses issued to commercial pilots by the training academy after 2010, the minister said a total of 7,970 licenses have been issued since, including 699 CPLs issued this year till June 30.

ALSO READ - India needs 1,000 commercial pilots every year

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