Foreign aircraft flying into India to face safety checks

NEW DELHI: Foreign charter aircraft flying into India will now be subject to intense safety checks by aviation authorities here.

In a seemingly retaliatory move, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) — which was recently downgraded by US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mainly due to lack of adequate oversight capability — has formed two special teams to subject foreign aircraft to checks on Indian soil. Now based on faults found in them, aircraft can be flagged off in three categories — minor, rectify within a month or serious. In extreme cases, foreign aircraft could even be refused permission to fly on the ground of being unsafe and be allowed to take off only when fully repaired.

The FAA downgrade has meant that Indian aircraft can now be stopped for extensive checks abroad and foreign aviation regulators can ask to conduct their own safety assessment of the DGCA, something which the Japanese and the European Aviation Safety Authority wanted to do last year. After the downgrade, Singapore has already warned that it will put Indian aircraft flying there under strict ramp checks.

"The two teams formed by DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar will do safety assessment of foreign airlines (SAFA) at Indian airports. While there will be strict monitoring of all airlines, foreign charter planes are suspected to flouting safety norms and they will be under the scanner. This is not a reactionary move to the threat of our planes being held up for checks abroad after the downgrade. Our checks will be intense and sustainable," said a senior official. Sources say western carriers will be in for strict checks as singling out US airlines would be seen as a retaliatory move.

The FAA had first come for an audit of the DGCA in March 2009 and found that India did not have any checks on foreign aircraft flying into the country. Election commissioner Nasim Zaidi, who was DGCA chief then, started safety oversight of foreign airlines ( SOFA) based on Europe's SAFA. But DGCA could not continue this program for long and has now decided to revive it now.

While India may "return the fire", the biggest worry haunting aviation authorities here is of an Indian registered aircraft showing poorly in checks abroad. The DGCA has issued an advisory to all Indian airlines and charter operators to have all aircraft and crew documents in proper order. Some airlines like Air India have set up special committees for this task.

The downgrade has taken India by surprise. While the DGCA has over years become a completely toothless body thanks to a crippling shortage of flight operations inspectors and other technical staff, Indian carriers have placed orders worth millions of dollars with US major Boeing. Indian authorities felt this "commercial interest" will prevent US from taking the 'extreme' step of downgrading DGCA.

"Given all the troubles American Boeing's Dreamliners are giving Air India on a daily basis, we expected them to be a bit apologetic about their latest showpiece — the B-787. Yet they downgrade us and the aviation ministry still remains helpless in taking up the issue of Dreamliner troubles with Boeing adequately. Boeing is yet to rectify the problems with its new plane and the ministry brass is mysteriously silent. In fact, Boeing spokespersons and our top officials sound alike when it comes to addressing Dreamliner issues," said a senior pilot. 

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