The Hindu Business Line : Aviation mistrust

The father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, said: “Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear.”

On July 22, the meaning of the word “trust” was rewritten by our parliamentarians, who seem to have forgotten Gandhiji and his teachings.

Another leader, James Madison, considered the “Father of the Bill of Rights” and one of the founding fathers of the Constitution of the United Sates, said: “The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” And, recently, the judges of the Supreme Court of India said that “even God cannot help our country,” while speaking about the inaction of the Government and the officials.

For the last two years, aviation in India has been misled by falsehood. The Minister of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have, time and again, stated that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) considered India to be among the top two nations in the world as far as flight safety is concerned.

This argument was used by the Ministry to overlook persons with exemplary track record in aviation safety in the department. The truth came out in the safety oversight audit conducted by the ICAO.

ICAO Safety Audit

The ICAO conducted a safety audit during October 10-20, 2006. When it submitted the report, the preamble had a very significant statement: “The audit results, including the findings and recommendations contained in this report, reflect the capabilities and limitations of the civil aviation system of India as assessed by the audit team. They are thus based on evidence gathered during interviews conducted by the audit team with India’s technical experts and background information provided by such personnel, review and analysis of civil aviation legislation, specific regulations, related documentation and file records.

“Considering the time that was available to conduct the audit and the fact that the safety oversight audit team members could only review and analyse information and documentation made available by the State, it is possible that some safety concerns may not have been identified during the audit.”

In the accompanying chart (http:// www.icao.int/fsix/auditRep3_CSA.cfm?s=India&i=80 ), which does not provide the complete picture of the contents in the report, there is enough cause for alarm for those involved with aviation.

Below world ‘average’

In two of the most important profiles, India has been found to be well below the world ‘average’. On a scale of 10, India has scored a mere two (just a number above ‘Not Implemented’) for Technical Personnel Qualification and Training and just four for Civil Aviation System and Safety oversight. It is unfortunate that a country whose aviation sector is among the fastest growing should be so backward as far as safety is concerned.

When the findings of the audit team were submitted to the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a compliance report was submitted by the Government with a definite timeframe. The ICAO accepted, in good faith, the commitment given by our aviation brass. Unfortunately, this “trust’ has been undermined.

One of the significant findings of the audit team was the minimum number of Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) that the DGCA required, for carrying out the operational safety audit and oversight of all the airlines in India.

Based on the number of airlines, aircraft, crew, etc., the audit team had spelt out that India needed 14 FOIs; at the time of the audit, the DGCA had just one inspector!

In its compliance report, the DGCA had confirmed that the required number of FOIs will be appointed by March 10, 2007.

But as on August 1, 2008, there are just three inspectors for fixed wing aircraft and one for helicopters.

Without the required number of Operations Inspectors to carry out the safety audit, it would be unsafe to take to the skies.

Another significant point that the audit team made was with regard to ICAO’s requirement of licensing of foreign pilots. Here again, the DGCA had given a compliance note confirming that all the ICAO rules will by complied with by March 10, 2007.

The US regularised the age of 60 for pilots only on December 12, 2007, when the President, Mr George W. Bush, signed the order. Until then, FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) licence-holders above the age of 60 were not allowed to fly as airline pilots carrying passengers; they were only authorised to fly cargo and general aviation flights. This was repeatedly pointed out to the DGCA. Yet, these warnings have been ignored and, more importantly, the DGCA allowed those pilots to fly Indian registered passenger aircraft.

The audit team’s assessment on the ‘qualification and training’ standards should make all those connected with aviation hang their heads in shame. The audit team is particularly critical of the personnel in the Air Traffic Management System.

A recent DGCA report reveals that between April 2007 and March 2008 there were 14 accidents, of which eight were serious ones, and 979 aircraft-safety-related incidents that included 26 dangerous airplane proximity incidents while in the air and 201 bird strikes.

Safety for all

Safety standards must be ensured not for VIPs alone but for all passengers. In this context, one is reminded of Murphy’s law, which states: “In nature, nothing is ever right. Therefore, if everything is going right...something is wrong.”

The reason why the safety culture in the US and the western world is so strong is because the judiciary comes down hard on infringements. The fear of lawsuits and heavy penalties keep the system and the airlines on their toes.

If the Civil Aviation Ministry and the DGCA want to be transparent, let them publish the ICAO audit report in full. People can judge for themselves if “truth and trust” were honoured.

To quote Gandhiji again: “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.”

(The author is an airline captain with 35 years of flying experience. Responses to blfeedback@thehindu.co.in)

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