DGCA risked safety with crew cut?

Mumbai: If you are flying Air India, pay full attention to pre-flight safety instructions. If there is an emergency, you may find that there is no flight attendant at the exit that you have rushed to. The door will be open and the inflatable slide deployed, but no one will be there to monitor and speed up the evacuation.
In a December 30, 2010 order, A K Sharan, joint director-general of civil aviation, allowed Air India to operate some of its aircraft with fewer flight attendants than what is deemed safe by other airlines and countries. Air India can operate its Boeing 777-200 LR with a minimum of five attendants instead of eight, Boeing 747-400 flights with nine instead of 12 and Boeing 777-300 ER with seven instead of 10 cabin crew members. In these aircraft, three flight attendants will each be in charge of two exit doors that are opposite each other at an average distance of 15 feet. It means that unlike other aircraft and airlines, in these Air India aircraft, every exit will not be manned by a cabin crew member during an emergency.
''In a fully occupied wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 747 or B777, it's essential to have a trained cabin crew member at each exit,'' said Ed Galea, director, Fire Safety Engineering Group, University of Greenwich, London. ''Expecting a single cabin crew member to safely and efficiently operate two exits in an exit pair of a wide-body aircraft is unrealistic and can compromise the safety of passengers and crew in the event of an accident.''
Bharat Bhushan, director-general of civil aviation, unavailable for comment.
14/01/11 Times of India

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Categories: Air India Jan 2011, Safety Jan 2011