Tuesday, April 15, 2014

GMR Aviation Ltd gets show-cause notice for safety checks

Directorate General of Civil Aviation found that GMR Aviation pilots were not undergoing breathalyzer tests to determine whether they had consumed alcohol before flying  


New Delhi: The aviation regulator has issued a show-cause notice to GMR Aviation Ltd, which runs an air charter service, and suspended the licenses of 11 pilots and six cabin crew for allegedly violating safety norms on flights that carried important dignitaries, said a top official on condition of anonymity. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found that GMR Aviation pilots were not undergoing breathalyzer tests to determine whether they had consumed alcohol before flying, said the DGCA official.

It also found that a doctor hired by GMR Aviation, a part of the GMR group that runs the Hyderabad and New Delhi airports, was noting down that the test had been done despite the absence of equipment to conduct it.

“We are approaching the Delhi Medical Council to cancel his practice and an FIR (first information complaint) will be registered soon,” the DGCA official cited above said.

The notice issued by director general of civil aviation Prabhat Kumar asked the company to explain why its license should not be cancelled for the breaches.

A GMR spokesman said it had received the show-cause notice late Tuesday from the DGCA and was studying it.

The regulator has been conducting checks on air charter services, especially during the ongoing general election. GMR Aviation services are used by dignitaries including those who are entitled to the elite Special Protection Groups (SPG).

Politicians typically use charter helicopters to fly to remote areas that lack adequate infrastructure for air travel during the election campaign.

DGCA had warned charter operators in a circular last month that non-compliance with aviation and safety norms will result in suspension of operations or pilot licences or even cancellation of operator permits.

“Analysis of earlier accidents/incidents associated with small aircraft/helicopter operations from airstrips/temporary helipads and past experience of election flying by the operators has revealed that laid down instructions were violated time and again and safety was jeopardized,” DGCA said in the circular.
 

Source:    http://www.livemint.com