Kingfisher, AI and GoAir get DGCA notice

Mumbai: Expressing ignorance about the DGCA's ban on operations on shortened runways if they are wet, an official said, "There were 23 landings and 17 departures on the runway while it rained in Mumbai, and no one told us about the DGCA's instructions.'' He added that two DGCA officials were also stationed at the airport to observe flight operations and neither interrupted the operations till the Kingfisher flight skidded off the tarmac.
"The only communication that DGCA had with ATC was on Friday when it sanctioned the `localiser approach' of landing. There was no communication after that regarding runway operations on Tuesday. Traffic controllers should have been made aware of the instructions to make them binding on airlines,'' an ATC official said. An MIAL spokesperson also denied having received any circular or intimation from DGCA.
Besides the six pilots from three airlines, a traffic controller and a surface movement centre staffer at the airport have also been derostered pending investigation. DGCA also issued a showcause notice to Kingfisher, AI and GoAir for violating instructions, insisting that it had served clear instructions to all airlines and the MIAL not to operate flights on a wet shortened runway. In a statement to the media, director-general of civil aviation Naseem Zaidi also said DGCA had directed MIAL to carry out videography of flight operations every Tuesday.
But Kingfisher, too, stuck to its guns, insisting it had taken the necessary precautions. "On Monday, following a verbal notification received by Kingfisher Airlines (around 6.30 pm) from the authorities, we proactively located the notification, studied the guidelines specified for operation of C-class aircraft (Boeing and Airbus), and our flight operations department issued a circular to all pilots specifying the precautions to be taken for Tuesday's shortened runway operations at Mumbai...,'' a spokesperson said.
12/11/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Categories: Air India Domestic Nov 2009, Airports Nov 2009, GoAir Nov 2009, Kingfisher Nov 2009, NACIL Nov 2009, Safety Nov 2009