Aerospace Diary

AIN AIR TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE  »  JULY 8, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Recent safety lapses on the part of Air India crew have raised new questions about India’s air transport oversight. (Photo: Boeing) July 8, 2013, 12:10 PM The  U.S.  Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) has informed India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) that it will conduct an independent safety audit of air transport oversight on the subcontinent in August. India has asked for an extension of the date. The notice follows a report published in March by the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) that identified significant safety concerns overlooked by India while overseeing its airlines (air operators, charters and general aviation). Nine months ago the  FAA  indicated that if it found failures in  DGCA  oversight, it would start the necessary consultation process for an international avia...

Neelam Mathews Oct 1, 2012 Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said today that no Kingfisher flights can take off till DGCA certifies all  the aircraft are safe. He also said this was the "first time" the safety issue had come up with the carrier.  There is a lapse of memory here. This is  not  the first time engineers of the carrier have gone on strike. Infact in April this year, 200 engineers had given up their tools. Why wasn't it then a safety issue? While we are glad to hear the government is now facing reality and has asked Kingfisher to submit its financial report- recognizing finally that safety and finances have a direct link - hopefully it will acknowledge its error in judgement in an earlier announcement where the minister had clearly indicated that the audit on the airline's financial health sho uld be removed from the safety audit? We need some transparent thinking. Has this understanding come too late, one wonders. Now that the airline is ...