New Delhi: Centre’s civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati on Saturday said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had “heightened surveillance” of SpiceJet as a precautionary measure due to the financial stress faced by the airline.
The minister said “heightened surveillance is a result of safety consideration. It is a precautionary measure because of what the books are reflecting. There was apprehension that safety might not receive that priority it ought to because of the financial stress. We have to ensure that maintenance is not compromised and pilots do not fly beyond the mandatory duty time limits.”
However, no specific instances of safety violations in SpiceJet have been reported yet, he clarified.
He added the directions issued by the DGCA to SpiceJet were not connected with the Federal Aviation Administration audit which is set to start on Monday. “I don’t think anybody has directed the DGCA to do this,'' he said.
06/12/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard
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The minister said “heightened surveillance is a result of safety consideration. It is a precautionary measure because of what the books are reflecting. There was apprehension that safety might not receive that priority it ought to because of the financial stress. We have to ensure that maintenance is not compromised and pilots do not fly beyond the mandatory duty time limits.”
However, no specific instances of safety violations in SpiceJet have been reported yet, he clarified.
He added the directions issued by the DGCA to SpiceJet were not connected with the Federal Aviation Administration audit which is set to start on Monday. “I don’t think anybody has directed the DGCA to do this,'' he said.
06/12/14 Sharmistha Mukherjee/Business Standard
