Malkani Jet appointment on hold

Has asked the airline to come up with more names for the post

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is understood to have put on hold a decision on the appointment of Naveen Malkani as the flight safety head for Jet Airways and asked the airline to come up with more names.

Following laid-down procedures, the private carrier had recently named Capt N T Malkani as its flight safety head and sought the regulator's approval for it, airline sources said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is understood to have asked the Jet management to come up with some other names for the flight safety head, apparently unsatisfied with Malkani's qualifications.

Sources said fresh names were sought after it was found Malkani had not done any course on safety, accident prevention or safety management systems.

It was also alleged that Malkani had started functioning as the flight safety head even before the regulator gave its nod.

When contacted, a Jet Airways spokesperson said that it has applied to the DGCA for the approval of Malkani's name for the safety job.

"Capt Ranbir Singh continues to be the chief of flight safety. We have applied to the DGCA, seeking an approval for the appointment of Capt Naveen Malkani as the chief of flight safety. The approval is awaited," a Jet Airways spokesperson said.