IA’s battered fleet needs life support

MUMBAI, July 29: More than 20 years after Indian Airlines inducted the Airbus A 300s, age is telling on the domestic carrier's trusted work...

MUMBAI, July 29: More than 20 years after Indian Airlines inducted the Airbus A 300s, age is telling on the domestic carrier’s trusted workhorses. The A 300s numbering ten, or a quarter of IA’s fleet, are spending more time in maintenance hangars throwing IA’s schedules out of gear. According to a monthly performance statement issued by IA’s Quality Control department, 52 instances of delayed release of aircraft due to engineering and other reasons have been officially recorded in the month of June alone.

In contrast similar delays earlier this year amounted to less than 25 every month. The number of incidents’ regarding the A 300s which reflect on the safety record of the aircraft also were on the higher side: nine in June as against just two in March.

These included two groundings and one bird-hit. Airline sources point out that the incidents though not serious enough to merit the label of accident are nevertheless significant. For instance unscheduled landings due to technical reasons, pressure failure in the aircraft and hydraulic failure, etc are considered incidents worth investigating.

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IA sources attribute the sudden increase in delays and incidents to the airline management’s efforts to squeeze more mileage out of the ageing fleet. “In order to improve IA’s on-time performance snags are carried over to the next halt,” said a source. Though this is permissible as per the minimum equipment list (MEL) prescribed by the Director General of Civil Aviation, maintenance problems accumulate particularly if snags increase at a station with poor facilities. “Often engineers and equipment have to be flown from Mumbai to other stations to rectify a snag thereby causing delays of several hours,” a senior official told The Indian Express.

Sources also point out that IA is facing severe shortage of spares due to inadequate supply from vendors. As a result parts from A 300 aircraft grounded for checks are cannibalised’ or dismantled for installation in other aircraft for which spares are unavailable. For instance, the Quality Control reports reveal that engine removals, both scheduled and unscheduled, range from four to six every month. This in a fleet of ten aircraft of which one or two are grounded round the clock for maintenance.

Incidentally, the Union Minister for civil aviation, C M Ibrahim had indicated in Mumbai last year that IA would be able to purchase its new aircraft after, Air-India’s board finally decides on the much-postponed purchase of medium-capacity long range aircraft.

ICPA to file PIL on falling safety standards

The Indian Commerical Pilots Guild which represents the pilots of Indian Airlines have threatened to file a public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court next month against what it calls the safety violations committed by Indian Airlines. Office-bearers of the ICPA at a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday accused the IA management of violating passenger safety by pushing its line pilots and executive pilots to the extreme.

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Capts R K Singh and Ajit Singh, president and general secretary, ICPA who addressed the media pointed out that IA’s executive pilots are often asked to fly long hours side by side with their managerial responsibilities. “Should a mishap occur, it would be blamed on pilot error,” they pointed out.

While pilots are threatened to fly longer in excess of their flight and duty time limitations, they stand to be punished by the Director General of Civil Aviation for violating safety norms, the ICPA office-bearers alleged. This practice has increased particularly after the increase in Gulf operations and the formation of Alliance Air, the ICPA alleged. According to the ICPA the executive pilots are averaging 100 flying hours per month when the DGCA has prescribed 1000 flying hours every year.