Jet fire scare in Mumbai airport shows all is not well with safety

Mumbai: Airline companies in India might just not be doing enough to train cabin crew for safety and emergency procedures, aviation experts say. They also question the Indian aviation regulator’s role in terms of surveillance and compliance to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by the regulator to be followed by airline crew in emergency situations.
The debate comes to light in the wake of a Friday incident of Jet Airways flight about a suspected engine fire at Mumbai airport. Twenty-five passengers sustained injuries.
"Basics as jump and slide, wet raft training (for flights over water), emergency door opening and using fire extinguishers, which are mandatory for airlines to be conducted every year abroad, are grossly neglected by airlines here. Also, the regulator has no specific guidelines to be followed in this case by operators,” said an official working with an international airline, who earlier was with some major private carriers in India.
The fact is airlines have not invested any significant amount in safety equipment and training facilities in the country.
Air India, sources said, is contemplating an upgrade of its archaic training equipment and considering having a joint facility for training with other airlines.
Very few airlines in India do the fire rescue drill whereas fire rescue drills for training cabin crew abroad is done in chambers replicating a fire in the airliner for getting an experience as close to real,” said top aviation expert, Capt A Ranganathan.
Airlines surely do not design their own safety manuals. Initial instructions come from the aircraft manufacturer, then an airline adds its own details commensurate with company policy, which are finally given a go-ahead by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA). This is the reason why the role of the aviation regulator is also questioned by experts.
30/08/10 Manish Singhal/Economic Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2010, Jet Airways Aug 2010, Safety Aug 2010