Civil aviation regulator DGCA suspended 62 pilots in the last six months for safety violations, up 30% from the corresponding period last year, an RTI query by HT has found.
The Director General of Civil Aviation took action against 93 pilots in 2015 -- an average monthly suspension rate of less than eight. This has gone up to 10 in 2016. Suspensions can last 15 days or go up to several years, depending on the severity of the offence.
The regulator declined information on the break-up of violations, but sources said in 45% of the cases, pilots failed the breathalyser test that checks alcohol levels in blood. This was followed by runway violations (30%), flight and duty time limitations (20%) and miscellaneous violations (4%).
"The details of airlines cannot be provided as the information is exempt from disclosure," the DGCA said, while a senior official added, "If we start disclosing airlines' names, they will start hiding violations."
However, minister of state for civil aviation Dr Mahesh Shrama had told Lok Sabha in May that of 122 cases in three years of pilots failing alcohol tests pre-flight, Jet Airways, Indigo and SpiceJet topped with 33, 25 and 20 cases, respectively.
01/08/16 Jeevan Prakash Sharma/Mcclatchy/AviationPros
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The Director General of Civil Aviation took action against 93 pilots in 2015 -- an average monthly suspension rate of less than eight. This has gone up to 10 in 2016. Suspensions can last 15 days or go up to several years, depending on the severity of the offence.
The regulator declined information on the break-up of violations, but sources said in 45% of the cases, pilots failed the breathalyser test that checks alcohol levels in blood. This was followed by runway violations (30%), flight and duty time limitations (20%) and miscellaneous violations (4%).
"The details of airlines cannot be provided as the information is exempt from disclosure," the DGCA said, while a senior official added, "If we start disclosing airlines' names, they will start hiding violations."
However, minister of state for civil aviation Dr Mahesh Shrama had told Lok Sabha in May that of 122 cases in three years of pilots failing alcohol tests pre-flight, Jet Airways, Indigo and SpiceJet topped with 33, 25 and 20 cases, respectively.
01/08/16 Jeevan Prakash Sharma/Mcclatchy/AviationPros
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