Page 42 - 15OCT2018E

AVIATION
Sky is the limit
when it comes to air
safety violations
Exponential growth in civil aviation in terms of increasing passengers, pending induction of
new planes, building of new airports and renovation of abandoned air strips has given rise to
42-44 Subhangi Singh.indd
n September 20, 30 un- ready flying and there is a lack of clear Air India accounted for nearly a third
communication between the ATC (air of such instances, with 27 emergency
suspecting passengers,
landings. Jet Airways had 14 emer-
traffic control) and the pilots.
aboard a Jet Airways
gency landings, SpiceJet had 11 such
Increasing congestion in Indian
flight, literally bled
O through their ears and airspace resulted in over 90 cases of incidents and IndiGo saw 10 cases.
“near miss” incidents between 2015
noses. The 166 passengers aboard the
Various other international car-
riers accounted for 12 incidents of
Boeing 737, a Jaipur-bound Jet Airways and 2018. “Near miss” incidents gen-
emergency landings over the past
erally refer to cases where the dis-
flight, were in for a rude shock when
they realised the flight crew ‘forgot’ tance between two airborne planes is two years. As far as the violation of
air safety norms was concerned, Air
to turn on the control switch to pres-
less than the prescribed safety limits
and could result in mid-air collision.
surise the plane cabin. The flight, trav-
India group registered total 77 cases
last year until November, which is
Compared to other modes of trans-
elling from Mumbai to Jaipur, turned
back shortly after takeoff. The Indian
of safety breaches in 2016. Private
civil aviation sector has witnessed port, such as rail or road transport, air a 13 per cent increase over cases
travel is safest across the globe and
over 700 safety violations by different also in India. When measured against carriers in the country recorded
airlines operators, thus compromis- the number of air travellers, the 199 cases altogether last year until
ing on the safety and security of pas- number of deaths from air crashes is November, registering a 30 per cent
decline in violations as compared
sengers between 2016 and 2017.
minuscule.
many challenges, writes SHUBHANGI SINGH The number of air-safety viola- to 2016 when their violations were
tions is definitely alarming, but is at 279.
also an indicator of the increase in The number of An ageing fleet is also a major
aviation activity without a significant air-safety violations dampener for maintaining air safety.
increase in the infrastructure. Ex- Though the average age of the fleet
ponential growth in civil aviation in is definitely has come down in recent years, the
terms of increasing passengers, pend- alarming, but is also transition has not been smooth. The
ing induction of new planes, building national carrier Air India still has
of new airports and renovation of an indicator of the some planes which are more than 20
abandoned air strips has given rise to years old. Though the disinvestment-
many challenges. Maintaining safety increase in aviation bound carrier will phase out its re-
in the skies is one such complex issue. activity without a maining three Classic A320 planes,
According to the Ministry of Civil which are nearly three decade old,
Aviation, India became the fast - significant increase from the fleet by the end of this year.
est growing aviation market in the in the infrastructure The Indian Commercial Pilots As-
world, with 19.6 per cent growth sociation (ICPA) — one of Air India’s
n air passenger traffic in June this pilots’ bodies — had in 2015 termed
year. India has recorded double-digit Yet India witnessed as many as these aged planes as “lethal and snag-
growth in domestic air passenger 375 air-safety violations in 2017 as prone” and demanded their ground-
traffic for the past three years. Most compared to the 431 reported in ing. On the other hand, Indigo and
of our large airports are operat - 2016. Some of the safety violations GoAir had to ground a part of their
ing at capacity or are reaching peak by various airlines included the fail- fleet earlier this year due to a snag
capacity. The number of aircraft are ure to adhere to the Pilot Proficiency found in the Pratt & Whitney (PW)
steadily increasing and the num - Check (PPC), non-compliance of engines, introduced on their Airbus
ber of flying passengers has gone up FDTL (Flight and Duty Time Limita- A320Neo planes last year. Technical
exponentially. tions) requirements, non-compliance issues were also reported with CFM
The year 2016 saw the highest of pre-flight medical requirements, engines on flights operated by Vist-
number of near misses ever reported unauthorised entry into the cockpit, ara. Five persons were killed when a
in Indian airspace in a single year, i.e. among others. private plane crashed near an under-
32. The rise in the number of “near There were a total of 99 instances construction building in Mumbai’s
miss” incidents in Indian airspace of emergency landings by aircrafts in Ghatkopar area in June while trying
is due to growing air traffic conges- India, in 2016-17. However, the total to make an emergency landing. The
tion in the Indian skies. According number of emergency landings fell privately-owned King Air C90 was in
to experts, such incidents take place by 35 per cent in 2017 as compared service for past 22 years and was on a
when two or more planes fly at the to the previous year. There were to- test run.
same height, or a flight descends to tal 60 cases of emergency landings After the incident, he Bom -
the height where another plane is al- in 2016 and 39 cases in 2017. Of these, bay High Court rapped the Airport
TEHELKA / 15 OCTOBER 2018 42 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 15 OCTOBER 2018 43 WWW.TEHELKA.COM
2 9/28/2018 5:34:34 PM 42-44 Subhangi Singh.indd 3 9/28/2018 5:34:42 PM