Leap in airline safety fine

New Delhi: The next time an aircraft’s nose-wheel collapses on the tarmac, as happened in Mumbai last month, the airline could be fined Rs 10 lakh and an errant executive jailed for two years.
Under new rules on aircraft safety and passenger comfort that came into effect today, even neglecting passengers’ plight during flight delays can attract punishment, aviation officials said.
Earlier, airlines faced a paltry fine of Rs 1,000 for violating or neglecting safety norms, and the officials responsible were liable to be jailed only for six months — that too on paper.
Till date in India, airlines have never been held to have wilfully compromised on safety, directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA) officials said. Which is why, no one has ever been jailed in the country for airline safety violations.
“However, we are now bringing in a graded punishment norm which includes both fines and jail terms for the airline executives responsible, usually operating officers who are found to have wilfully neglected safety norms,” an official said.
The new rules, notified by the government last night, are based on amendments to the Aircraft Act 1934, passed by Parliament sometime ago.
Pilots’ unions — including the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association, Indian Pilots’ Guild and the Society for Welfare of Indian Pilots — had been urging the government to come out with stricter norms and force airlines to pay more attention to aircraft safety.
The DGCA too had been worried by the spate of recent mishaps. Only a week ago, a tow tractor had tried to move an Air India aircraft while it was still attached to an aero-bridge at Mumbai airport.
10/05/09 The Telegraph

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General May 2009, Safety May 2009