DGCA restricts Indigo from using simulator at an overseas facility

Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered budget carrier IndiGo not to train its pilots on one of the two simulators at an overseas training centre following an inspection of the facility and the subsequent detection of the malfunctioning in one of the two such machines last month.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has, however, not withdrawn approval granted to the training organisation for imparting training to the Indian pilots, a senior DGCA official said.
"There are two simulators at UK based training organisation. One was found erratic. DGCA has asked Indigo not to train pilots on erratic simulator," the official said.

The approval granted to the organisation, however, continues, the official said.
Besides IndiGo, other domestic carrier Jet airways and a some British airlines also use the facility to impart simulator training to their pilots.
When contacted, IndiGo said the regulator's decree will not have any impact on its training programme as a major portion of training to its pilots is conducted at the Dubai facility of the same organisation.

"This restriction will not impact IndiGo as we primarily conduct a major portion of our training at CAE-Dubai. The simulators used by IndiGo at CAE Dubai have been evaluated and cleared by DGCA vide OC (Office Circular) 1 of 2016," IndiGo said in a statement.

The simulators at the training facility are approved and accredited by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is a statutory authority of a state, it said, adding "under the revised provisions of a new directive of DGCA - Operations Circular 1 of 2016 of February 1, DGCA conducted evaluation of all overseas simulators being used by Airlines in India for training."
A simulator training facility generally has a number of simulators of different vintage and it was during this simulator evaluation by DGCA on May 16 that one amongst many simulators in this training facility in the UK, being used by IndiGo, was found to be short on some technical parameters, the airline said.

DGCA has advised them to rectify these shortcomings by a specified period, it said.
Over the last one, IndiGo has trained 50 Pilots (4.2 pilots /month on an average) at the various simulators available at this training centre, it added.