Summary
- Air India’s simulator training facilities in Mumbai and Hyderabad have been temporarily suspended as a result of lapses found during DGCA’s inspections.
- The facilities are crucial for maintaining licenses and certifications of Air India’s pilots.
- This development follows the DGCA’s commentary of lapses in Air India’s internal safety audits a number of days ago.
Following previous reports of the Indian aviation regulator, the DGCA, finding lapses in Air India’s internal safety audits, the carrier’s simulator training facilities within the country have reportedly been suspended temporarily. The DGCA is claimed to be verifying certain details before it could actually allow the carrier to resume simulator training on the two facilities in India.
Air India’s Airbus and Boeing simulator training facilities suspended
Just a few days ago, India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), temporarily suspended the approval of Air India’s Boeing simulator training facility in Mumbai. In response to the Press Trust of India (PTI), the aviation watchdog found certain lapses and is reviewing the matter. The PTI quotes a source as saying,
Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock
This was followed by reports of the DGCA also suspending the airline’s Airbus simulator training facility in Hyderabad. Once more, the rationale cited for this was lapses found in the course of the DGCA’s inspection.
Air India conducts simulator training for its pilots flying the widebody Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft at the ability in Mumbai. In Hyderabad, it trains its pilots on the simulator for its narrowbody fleet of the Airbus A320 family of aircraft.
It stays to be seen how long the suspension will last, as Air India relies on the 2 facilities to keep up the licenses and certifications of its pilots. Any lapses could affect the pilot’s availability and, consequently, the airline’s operations.
The airline operates a mixed fleet of Airbus narrowbodies and Boeing widebody planes and can soon start receiving the primary few of its Airbus A350 aircraft on order.
Lapses present in internal safety audits
The newest developments come close on the heels of the DGCA observing lapses in Air India’s internal safety audits some days ago. The airline failed an internal safety audit upon further verification by a two-member surveillance team from the DGCA.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
Under this internal safety audit, an inventory of 13 checks on different features of Air India’s operations is usually carried out, including but not limited to policy changes, ramp operations, loading management, cargo handling, maintenance, and cabin surveillance.
The surveillance team was not satisfied with the end result of the improved verification of the unspecified 13 safety checkpoints. It found falsified reports made by Air India on some issues and likewise went through CCTV footage, auditee statements, official records, and passenger manifests as a part of its investigation.
The DGCA is predicted to perform an in depth investigation and make suggestions for corrective actions in the times to return.
What are your views on this? Please leave a comment below.