For 600 planes, just four flight inspectors

Mumbai: At last count, there were 10 commercial airlines, two cargo airlines, 65 non-scheduled operating airline companies and several helicopter operating firms in India, most with growing fleets of aircraft.
Want to know how many flight inspectors India has to conduct safety audits and clear licences for pilots and crew? Four.
Meanwhile, the global benchmark, based on fleet size? One flight inspector for every airline.
Indian airline operators and government officials that Mint spoke to agree that, just based on existing fleet size and the planned surge in new aircraft, India needs at least 25 flight inspectors.
“I cannot deny the fact... We have three flight inspectors for fixed wings and one for helicopters. But, we are in the process of appointing 15 such inspectors,” said director general of civil aviation (DGCA) Kanu Gohain, who concedes there is an acute shortage.
But, he declined to specify a time frame by when the appointments would be completed, saying the Union Public Service Commission, or UPSC, is on the job for selecting flight inspectors. And, the process of appointing new flight inspectors has been on for more than a year now.
Meanwhile, the number of aircraft in the country has doubled from about 300 in 2003-04 to 600 now, as per civil aviation ministry data.
With more domestic carriers going international and an increasing number of regional airlines starting operations, Indian carriers are scheduled to buy 400 planes over the next four-five years. But, these planes can start flying only after flight inspectors first carry out detailed safety audits.
21/04/08 P.R. Sanjai/Livemint

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2008, Safety Apr 2008