Recertification of carriers to be completed in a month: DGCA

Aviation regulator DGCA today said recertification of all scheduled airlines would be completed in the next month and so far 10 carriers have been recertified.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) began the recertification process for the scheduled carriers earlier this year. DGCA chief M Sathiyavathy said recertification of 10 airlines have been completed.

"Out of 14 airlines, we have completed 10 and only four are remaining. We will be completing that in the next one month," she said here.

The recertification is being done to ensure that the carriers meet the global standards, especially after the US watchdog Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) upgraded India's safety rating this April.

About UN body International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) audit next month, Sathiyavathy said it would look at various areas including aerodrome operations and air traffic management.

"There are certain issues related to air traffic management and we are addressing them on a continuous basis... We are taking action and I hope that by the time the audit takes place, which is in late November, we will be fully ready," she noted.

She was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference organised by the US aircraft maker Boeing. Responding to a query on fatigue faced by air traffic controllers, Sathiyavathy said the issue is being addressed.

"The Airports Authority of India (AAI) which is the sole agency to provide navigation services is fully aware of the requirement of the air traffic controllers and in fact they are on a recruitment drive and probably I think another 480 ATCs would be inducted in the next six months," she tes, recertification has been completed for five.