New Delhi: Even as issues pertaining to air safety are accorded top priority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ended up flouting its own rules in appointment of seconded Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs).
The DGCA has on its panel senior management pilots from airlines who work as seconded FOIs on deputation.
FOIs are those who have clocked at least 5,000 hours of flying, including 3,000 hours as pilot-in command. While working for the DGCA in inspection of aircraft and route checks of pilots, they are allowed to fly for their parent airlines without any disruption of their duties in the DGCA.
The idea of seconded FOIs was implemented when Naseem Zaidi was the D-G of the DGCA in January 2009.
The Civil Aviation Requirement of the DGCA clearly states in the clause 6.3 of Section 8, Series A Part III that an FOI “shall have no management responsibilities in his airline nor in any way be associated with pilot associations/unions, etc, during his tenure to avoid clash of interests.”
24/12/12 Business Line
