Indias aviation safety regulator has directed Jet Airways to keep off work 63 maintenance engineers who have failed to clear a mandatory test qualifying them for the job. The engineers are part of a group of 316 aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) whom the carrier was found to have put on duty despite their not having passed the test. After discovering the discrepancy,the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had given Jet Airways two-and-half months to ensure that all 316 engineers cleared the test. However,even after the deadline 63 engineers are yet to qualify. AMEs do the crucial job of carrying out maintenance checks on parked aircraft. We have clearly directed the airline not to involve these engineers in the maintenance of aircraft till they clear the test, a senior DGCA official said. Jet Airways said the engineers would reappear for the test in accordance with policy. The test is part of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) guidelines,and how an airline would be judged on a particular parameter. In the past,Jet Airways has cleared all audit tests by the regulator. Following a financial audit of airlines carried out at the end of the last calender year to ascertain the potential impact on safety in the wake of the worsening financial position of airlines,Jet,IndiGo,SpiceJet and GoAir were given clean chits. Jet was Indias largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers flown until June,when it was replaced by IndiGo.
