India subjects foreign airlines to safety standards

New Delhi: A damaged life jacket or a torn seat belt on a foreign airline plane can now cost it its licence to operate in India.
With safety concerns in the skies being its top-most priority, the government has decided for the very first time to watch the operations of foreign carriers landing in and departing from the country.
If deficiencies are found by the flight inspectors during surveillance, and the airlines fail to take corrective action, they stand to lose their authorisation. The inspection will be carried out in the passenger cabin area to check first-aid kit, hand fire extinguishers, emergency exit, lighting and marking, torches, oxygen supply, access to emergency exit and even seat capacity. The safety regulation authority, the Director General of Civil Aviation, can undertake an inspection without prior announcement, if the situation so demands.
The move was necessitated after a boom in domestic and international passenger traffic over the past couple of years congested the Indian skies and raised safety issues. Following international practice, the Director General of Civil Aviation issued a circular to this effect on May 29.
A country is entitled to search and inspect certificates and documents of a foreign aircraft under the globally accepted Convention on International Civil Aviation.
France is one of the European countries which conducts similar checks on all foreign airlines including Air India.
03/06/09 Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2009, Safety Jun 2009