Rajeev Chandrasekhar's official website - Member of Parliament

 

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Civil Avaitation 

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1706
TO BE ANSWERED ON AUGUST 28, 2012
Non-Payment of Salaries to Airlines Staff

 

1706. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR 

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:

(a)   whether the former Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had submitted report in July linking safety of a private airline company to the nonpayment of salaries of the staff operating this airline;

(b)   if so, the details thereof; and

(c)    the steps taken by Government to ensure safety of passengers travelling in this private airline?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION
(SHRI AJIT SINGH)

 (a) and (b): No, Sir.

(c): The steps taken by the Government to ensure safety of passenger as well as aircraft operations are annexed.

ANNEXURE

MEASURES TAKEN TO ENSURE SAFETY OF AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS

 Implementation of Recommendations Emanating from Investigation of Aircraft Accidents and Hazardous Incidents:

Safety recommendations emanating from investigation of various aircraft accidents and incidents are followed up for implementation with the concerned agencies so as to prevent recurrence of similar accidents/incidents. A Standing Committee headed by DGCA periodically monitors the progress of implementation of the recommendations made by various Courts/Committees of Inquiries.

 Dissemination of Safety Information:

Safety seminars are organized by DGCA to create safety awareness amongst the operators. Further, periodical meetings with pilots, engineers, ATCOs and operators are also convened from time to time.

 Issue of Air Safety Circular/Civil Aviation Requirements:

Accidents are regularly analyzed and based on these analysis Air Safety Circulars are issued to bring important observations/findings to the notice of the operators to avoid the recurrence of the accidents. Safety precautions also are circulated through the Air Safety Circulars. Whenever requirement is felt regulatory changes are done by issuing Civil Aviation Requirements. Requirement for VIP carriage, Flight Duty Time Limitations etc. are being revised. Detailed Civil Aviation Requirements covering training and operations of the Helicopter for various operators has since been issued.

  • Surveillance by Flight Inspectors:

The Flight Inspector pilots of DGCA carryout periodic proficiency and standardization checks of pilots of various operators to ensure that laid down operating procedures are followed.

 Safety Audit of Operators:

Safety Audit teams of DGCA carry out periodically safety audit of operators and maintenance organizations. The deficiencies pointed out in the safety audit reports are immediately brought to the notice of the operators for taking necessary remedial in-house measures. DGCA, in its effort to make the operators more responsible for quality control and safety, has stressed that operators should also conduct their internal audit apart from DGCA safety audit.

 Periodic Spot Checks:

Periodic spot checks on the operations and maintenance activities of the operators have been intensified by DGCA officers to ensure observance of the laid down procedures.

 Special Operating Precautions in Poor Weather Conditions:

Operators and Airport authorities have been advised to take specific actions during periods of monsoon and fog. Airline pilots are subjected to special checks to ensure their proficiency in monsoon conditions.

 Airworthiness Control on Ageing Aircraft:

Measures have been taken for effective airworthiness control on ageing aircraft by stipulating additional requirements like restricting certificate of Airworthiness validity to 6 months for aircraft over 20 years age and reducing to 80% the periodicity of the inspection schedules, and restricting maximum life of 15 years/45000 cycles, whichever is less, for import of aircraft by the operators.

 Prevention of Bird Strike Incidents:

Continuous efforts are being made in association with airport authorities and local civic authorities to take effective measures to reduce bird strike menace. As a result, the numbers of bird strike incidents have considerably reduced.

 Action against defaulters:

Whenever it is found that there is gross violation of the laid down norms or compromise of safety, strict action is taken against the defaulters.

 Specific Steps taken by DGCA for Accident Prevention

 100% Monitoring of Flight Data Recorders:

DGCA through Civil Aviation Requirement has made mandatory for all Scheduled Air Transport Operators and Major Non Scheduled operators having aircraft equipped with DFDR to monitor flight data of all the flights to determine the exceedances in flight parameters from stipulated limits. This is to ensure adherence to standard operating procedures by the flight crew.

 Minimum Safe Altitude Warning System:

Minimum safe altitude warning (MSAW) system provides radar warning to the air traffic controllers whenever an aircraft descends below the minimum safe en route altitude. The air traffic controller in turn alerts the pilot about his descent below the safe altitude; MSAW system has already been provided in the air traffic control (ATC) Radars at Mumbai and Delhi. Airports Authority of India is in the process of installing MSAW systems at other airports.

 Installation of Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars (MSSRs):

Airports Authority of India (AAE) has since installed MSSRs at eight (8) airports in the country. Among other information, an MSSR provides aircraft altitude information to the air traffic controllers which enable him in improved air traffic management and surveillance. Because of the large areas covered by the MSSRs, most of the busy airspace in the country has come under the coverage of the MSSRs. This has enabled better surveillance of the flights in the Indian airspace.

 Installation of Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS)

DGCA has issued Civil Aviation Requirements making it mandatory for installation of Airborne Collision Avoidance System on airplane having maximum certified passenger seating configuration of more than 30 or a maximum pay load capacity of more than 3 tonnes. All applicable civil aircraft in India have ACAS Installed and at the insistence of DGCA, foreign operators also have to utilize ACAS equipped for operation over Indian airspace.

  • Installation of Transponders:

Transponders (A & C Type) provide traffic advisory in an aircraft fitted with ACAS-I and both traffic advisory and resolution advisory in an aircraft fitted with ACAS-II. Mode S Transponder is a reliable means for air space surveillance. It enhances the operation of Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) by adding a data link feature and interrogation capability over and above Mode A/Mode C Transponder operation which only determines aircraft altitude. Mode S transponder also provides traffic advisory in an aircraft fitted with ACAS-I and both traffic and resolutionary advisory in an aircraft fitted with ACAS-II.

 Installation of Ground Proximity Warning System:

Installation of GPWS system has been made mandatory by DGCA on all turbine engine aero planes of maximum certified take-off mass in excess of 5700 kgs or authorized to carry more than nine passengers as recommended by ICAO also. This equipment shall provide automatically a timely and distinctive warning to the flight crew when the aero plane is in potentially hazardous proximity to the earth's surface.

 DGCA India has also made a requirement that no turbine engined aircraft of maximum certified take off mass in excess of 15000 Kgs. or type certificated to carry more than 30 passengers shall operate on or after 1.1.2003 without having equipped with Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS).

 Computerized monitoring of FDTL, Training, Medical & License validity:

All the airlines have been mandatorily made to computerize the records relating to Flight crew duty time Limitations, their training, and qualification, medical and license validity. This has enabled instantaneous monitoring of crew records for their validity prior to operating flights.

 Detailed requirements for compliance of ICAO Standards:

The standards & recommended practices of ICAO contained in their Annex-1 (Personnel Licencing), Annex-6 (Aircraft Operations) and Annex-8 (Airworthiness of Aircraft) have been reviewed and Civil Aviation Requirements issued containing detailed requirements for compliance by the operators in compliance of ICAO standards.

  Safety Audit of the Operators:

Dedicated and trained safety audit teams of DGCA officers carry out regularly the safety audit of the Indian operators and Maintenance organizations in the country. The deficiencies pointed out in the safety audit reports are immediately brought to the notice of the management of the Operators for taking necessary remedial actions.

 Training of Aviation Personnel under COSCAP:

Under the Cooperative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness (South Asia) – COSCAP (SA) various trainings for the aviation personnel were organized in the fields of Reliability Monitoring, Cabin Safety, Leasing of aircraft, ETOPs, Dangerous Goods, Audit Standardization and Practices, Safety Promotion Course; Aviation Security, Flight Operations, ILS CAT II & III Operations, Simulator Approval Course, Boeing Performance Training, Boeing Safety Training, GPS, Aviation Enforcement Course etc.

 

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