Low-cost airlines ask DGCA to amend cabin crew training rules

Low-cost airlines have asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ease cabin crew training rules as it could impact their operations. Last March, the DGCA introduced new civil aviation requirement (CAR) on cabin crew training which specifies qualification and experience requirements of cabin crew among other things.

The regulation states that a cabin crew in charge must possess minimum four years of flying experience including one year experience of an aircraft type. The regulator has permitted airlines till September after which this rule will come into effect. At present the cabin crew in charge needs to have only one year experience. Now airlines are worried the new rule could impact their operations and affect expansion as they do not have sufficient number of crew with four years experience, an aviation ministry official said. Also, there are not too many personnel with that kind of experience who are available for recruitment.

“DGCA has given airlines over a year’s window before implementing this rule. However now the airlines are suggesting DGCA defer the implementation or amend the rule,” he stated. It is learnt that low cost carriers such as IndiGo and SpiceJet have approached the DGCA seeking a stay on the rule.

Full service carriers such as Air India and Jet Airways would not face a big problem as they have sufficient crew with over four years experience. A DGCA offcial said the matter was under consideration and the ministry will have to take a call whether to give reprieve to airlines or to amend the rule. It is also carrying out a study of cabin crew requirement of each airline and availability of manpower.

Both Spice Jet and IndiGo are in an expansion mode. IndiGo has 38 airbus A320s, while SpiceJet has 30 Boeing 737 planes. Both carriers are adding planes this year. SpiceJet is acquiring Bombardier Q400 planes for its regional service and will begin receiving deliveries of 30 more Boeing 737s from 2013 onwards. In an e-mail response SpiceJet spokesperson said the issue had been taken up with DGCA and hence the airline could not comment till it gets a reply from the regulator. IndiGo and other private airlines did not respond to the query.

According to the current DGCA requirement, a cabin crew has to be provided for every 50 passengers in a plane. Narrow body aircraft such as Boeing 737 or airbus A320 require minimum four crew including a cabin in charge.

According to an airline source “age, maturity and experience are important factors while deciding on qualifications of a cabin crew. The qualification and experience requirements of cabin crew in charge was reviewed and modified by the DGCA as it found performance of the crew was not up to the mark while handling on board safety incidents. A certain amount of maturity is needed to manage lives of passengers. A 19 year old boy or girl may not be able to lead a team and handle 200 passengers during a crisis. Initially the DGCA wanted to fix the experience requirement of cabin crew incharge to five years but was subsequently revised to four years.”