DGCA fines two flight training schools Rs 75,000 over of breath analysers

This is the first time DGCA has imposed financial penalty after the amendment of Aircraft Act gave power to the regulator to do so

Indian civil aviation regulator DGCA has levied financial penalty on two pilot training schools for irregular maintenance of breath analyser equipment. This is the first time the regulator has levied financial penalty on any aviation entity.

Aviation regulators like DGCA and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) have got penalising powers after the Aircraft Amendment Bill was approved by both houses of the parliament last year.

“During special audits of the Flying Training Organisations carried out in the month of September, Level 1 non-compliances were detected in the case of two flying training organisations. Involving provisions of the Aircraft Act, 1934, DGCA has imposed a financial penalty of Rs 75,000 each against these two organisations,” the regulator said in a statement.

A level-1 finding is any significant non-compliance with the

applicable requirement which lowers the safety standard and hazards flight safety.

Sources said that the a DGCA team did surprise checks on flying schools during which the team found that breath analyser test equipment at government-owned Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy (IGRUA) which is situated in Amethi and Chimes Aviation Academy- a flying training school at Madhya Pradesh were not maintained properly.

“This is the first-time flying training schools are being subjected to Breathe Analyser Test which was only restricted to airlines. Due to Covid, operations were shut and hence some irregularities happened. We have taken note of these and initiated corrective actions. My appeal is DGCA consider these and not impose the penalty,” said Krishnendu Gupta, director at IGRUA.

Business Standard has sent a query to a representative of Chimes Aviation Academy but hasn’t got a response till the time of publishing this report.

The Aircraft Act (Amendment) Bill 2020 seeks to convert aviation agencies like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil aviation security (BCAS) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into statutory bodies.

Under the new Act (after its implementation), any violation will attract heavy punishment, for example, violators will be punished up to two years in jail or fine up to Rs 10 lakhs or both. Carrying arms, ammunition, and explosives or other banned goods on board, and developing illegal construction around the airports will attract fines up to Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 1 crore.

The National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 had proposed giving more powers to the regulators and the issue is being taken up now in view of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit early next year.

The ICAO, had in its November 2017 audit, had made certain observations regarding licensing of professionals and aviation legislation in the country. The ICAO’s universal safety oversight audit covers eight areas and India had fared poorly in the area of licensing of aviation professionals. India’s score in this area was way below the global average and the country’s overall safety score fell from 65.8 to 55.7 per cent in 2017.