As the Indian airline fleet expands, the Indian aviation regulator will add 100-150 people over the next 6-8 months for greater aviation safety monitoring via night checks, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Director General Arun Kumar in an exclusive interview.
“At the DGCA, we take business seriously, and safety is non-negotiable,” Kumar stated.
The DGCA conducted 177 surveillances, 497 spot checks, and 169 night surveillances on the engineering and maintenance facets of scheduled operators throughout the course of the previous year, from July 2021 to June 2022.
The DGCA has initiated enforcement action against responsible individuals of an airline in 21 instances of violations based on the violations discovered through surveillance, spot checks, and night surveillance conducted during 2021–2022.
The use of aircraft, a robust machine with thousands of parts, is quite demanding. India’s fleet is extremely new, and they have some of the greatest flight dispatch reliability in the world. Technical hiccups are occasionally possible, and in the event of any, a regular operating procedure in accordance with internationally accepted rules is followed, according to Kumar.
“Although flight delays or diversions will not be popular with passengers, safe navigation is our top priority. According to data from last year, one aircraft experiences 0.6 snags annually. Over 6,000 aircraft movements in a day, there may be 1-2 technical issues. When it comes to any indication of mechanical difficulties, a pilot must be vigilant and observant. Many times, a technical snag indicator may be erroneous, but per SOP, a pilot must still react to it”
Arun Kumar, DGCA
In order to ensure that only airworthy aircraft are in operation, Kumar stated that the regulator regularly monitors the Indian airlines through spot checks, night surveillance, annual surveillance plans, and cockpit surveillance.
There is some unneeded hype and commotion surrounding everyday happenings. A rejected takeoff or missed approach is frequently a safety manoeuvre that increases safety. Air travel is completely secure, and we have an excellent track record, added Kumar.
The issue of air safety has gained attention over the past month as a result of numerous reports of technical problems with various airlines, including SpiceJet, GoFIRST, IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and Air India Express, involving, among other things, engine problems, cracked windshields, smoke in the cabin, and equipment malfunctions.
In accordance with the 2022 yearly surveillance plan, 3700 checks will be carried out by the DGCA.
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