Directorate General of Civil Aviation crackdown on pilots: Jet Airways blames it on ‘lack of clarity’

Mumbai, September 11:    Jet Airways said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s recent crackdown on 131 of the carrier’s pilots was due to ‘Lack of clarity’ in regulations.

According to recent media reports, the DGCA found 131 Jet Airways pilots to have flown planes on expired licenses following an audit of the airline’s training facilities.

“Some of the audit findings have resulted due to a lack of clarity in the regulatory interpretation of the processes… The airline welcomes the inputs of the regulator and confirms that it will comply with all established norms,” a spokesperson for Jet Airways said in a media statement.

Further, the carrier said that its senior management will meet the DGCA and his team to discuss the ambiguity in “some of the existing regulation and will work closely with DGCA to close all the findings”. However, the Jet spokesperson did not provide details.

Last week, DGCA came down heavily on Jet Airways after an audit of its pilots and cabin crew training program and issued show cause notices to 131 pilots of the airline.

After the audit carried out by a three-member team, DGCA had issued the notices asking the pilots why their licenses should not be suspended as they were flying without clearing their Pilot Proficiency Check (PPC) tests which have to be carried out every six months. The tests ascertain the overall knowledge level and proficiency of a pilot.