Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Aviation safety upgrade: DGCA asked to meet 4 pre-conditions

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may have restored category I status to India’s aviation safety oversight mechanism but the upgrade has been accorded based on DGCA’s promise to meet four stringent conditions in up to a year’s time. The FAA may come for an audit again in 12 months to assess the development.
Sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) informed the FAA has specified the local aviation regulator would have to hire a total of 72 flight operations inspectors (FOIs), recertify all scheduled airlines, non-scheduled operators (NSOPs) and flying training organisations to retain the top ranking.
A senior official in the DGCA told The Indian Express, “We are required to re-certify or issue fresh air operator’s permit (AOP) to all scheduled as well as non-scheduled operators, flying training organisations to ensure full compliance with international norms. The entire process would take about a year’s time.” The FAA may choose to conduct a fresh audit of the aviation safety oversight mechanism again at the time.
The DGCA had recertified the two airlines — Air India and Jet Airways — operating to the US, ahead of a FAA audit in December last year; recertification process has now started for IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Air Costa. “This process of issue of fresh AOPs to scheduled operators will take up to four months,” added the official. Newer ventures AirAsia India, Vistara and Air Costa have already been issued their AOP as per new norms laid down under CAP 3100 certification process.
21/04/15 Sharmistha Mukherjee/The Indian Express 
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