AI crew hits air pocket

Delhi: Next time you fly Air India between metros or on international routes, don't get irritated if the in-flight service takes a bit longer to materialise. There is a reason for it: the national carrier has reduced the number of crew members on most of its flights way below the requisite number as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules.
Sources in Air India told MiD DAY that the airline has recently taken permission from the DGCA to allow it to fly its Boeing 747 aircraft with only 7 crew members and Airbus 321 aircraft with only four crew members. While the former needs at least 12 crew members, the latter has to have a minimum of five crew members on board every flight as per DGCA rules.
"The Airbus 321 is mostly used on metro sectors and has passenger capacity of around 175 while Boeing 747 is used on international sectors with a passenger capacity of over 350. The arrangement has been done in order to avoid cancellations due to lack of staff," said a senior Air India official seeking anonymity.
Sources said that private airlines like Jet Airways and Kingfisher have more than 15 crew members for Boeing 747 and at least 8 for Airbus 321.
13/01/11 Surender Sharma/MiD DAY

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Categories: Air India Jan 2011