Mumbai: Unlike previous election campaigns, the ongoing one has been rather stressful for charter aircraft pilots, especially those flying helicopters, since the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revised norms and introduced surprise checks.
One of the norms, issued on March 24, says that "operator/flight crew shall ensure that no unauthorized cash, arms, ammunitions, narcotics or illegal items are carried on board the aircraft as laid down in the guidelines issued by the Election Commission, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the ministry of home affairs".
Airports like Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune do not pose a problem as these checks are carried out by the CISF prior to flights. The problems appear when aircraft, helicopters largely, take off from smaller airfields or helipads located in mofussil areas. "Here the job of ensuring that no such items are carried on board lies with pilots. And that has put them in a difficult spot as political party bigwigs are not used to pilots rummaging through their bags," said a charter flight operator. "Cash over Rs 10 lakh is not permitted to be carried on board. So, if there is cash on board, does the DGCA expect the pilots to count and see if it is below the limit?"
19/04/14 Times of India
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One of the norms, issued on March 24, says that "operator/flight crew shall ensure that no unauthorized cash, arms, ammunitions, narcotics or illegal items are carried on board the aircraft as laid down in the guidelines issued by the Election Commission, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the ministry of home affairs".
Airports like Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune do not pose a problem as these checks are carried out by the CISF prior to flights. The problems appear when aircraft, helicopters largely, take off from smaller airfields or helipads located in mofussil areas. "Here the job of ensuring that no such items are carried on board lies with pilots. And that has put them in a difficult spot as political party bigwigs are not used to pilots rummaging through their bags," said a charter flight operator. "Cash over Rs 10 lakh is not permitted to be carried on board. So, if there is cash on board, does the DGCA expect the pilots to count and see if it is below the limit?"
19/04/14 Times of India
