Over 20 pilots of various airlines have been temporarily taken off duty on the orders of he regulator DGCA so far in July, after a series of incidents, including the one at Mumbai airport involving a Spicejet plane, a senior official said Monday. These pilots have been barred from flying for a period ranging three to six months, the official added. As many as five incidents of aircraft overshooting/ skidding off the runway had occurred in a short span of three days only in the month. "This month, we have seen a series of incidents one after another in quick succession, leading to the grounding of these pilots. We have already temporarily grounded more than 20 pilots of domestic airlines so far, pending investigation," the official said. The official said some of these incidents have been handed over to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, while others are being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) itself. All the accidents and serious incidents involving aircraft are probed by the AAIB, which is the apex aircraft accident investigation body under the aviation ministry and incidents, which are not classified as "serious" are probed by the DGCA. The number of such incidents prompted the DGCA to issue a circular detailing the air safety guidelines for airlines, and advise them to follow certain precautions while planning operations during the monsoon conditions.
