For 4 yrs, VIPs flying unsafe

Chandigarh: While pointing out several infirmities in the acquisition process of aircraft for the Indian Air Force’s VIP squadron, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that the IAF has been ferrying the country’s leaders in aircraft that have been unsuitable for VIP flights for the past four years.
The CAG report stated that the operational requirements pertaining to communication facilities, instrument landing system, cabin layout and interiors, put forward during the acquisition process, were incomplete and tentative.
The technical evaluation of the aircraft was not comprehensive and no flight evaluation of the aircraft had been offered by the two vendors (Boeing and Airbus) in the fray. Further, several concessions were made to the selected bidder and several deviations from standard contract conditions were allowed.
The CAG also revealed that the IAF’s approach towards the self-protection suite, a mandatory fitment for VIP aircraft, was uncertain and flawed. According to the CAG report, the IAF frequently changed its requirements and opted for a system that did not meet its own broad technical requirements.
01/03/08 Vijay Mohan/The Tribune

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Categories: Safety Apr 2008