The Hindu Business Line : Aviation: Whither the standards?

Every airport displays the ISO certificate prominently and every airline claims to be ISO-certified on its Website or in its in-flight magazine. But do they conform to Standards?

Accountability is virtually non-existent in the aviation sector.

A. Ranganathan

Mockingbirds are best known for mimicking the songs of other birds, often loudly and in rapid succession. Players in the Indian aviation sector have similar qualities — making loud claims, repeating the tall claims often and mimicking each other. The lack of commitment to standards, and greed and manipulation have “killed the mockingbird”.

Quality scale

November 13 is World Quality Day. Quality management professionals from around the world will be celebrating their achievements and raising awareness of how quality approaches can make a tangible impact on business. Where do we figure in quality and professionalism?

Every player in Indian aviation claims to have ISO 9001:2000 certification. Does that mean assurance of standards to the passengers? All that is evident is the journey from ISO 9000 to IOU Rs 5,000 crore.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) defines a Standard as any specification for physical characteristics, configuration, material, performance, personnel or procedure, the uniform application of which is recognised as necessary for the safety or regularity of international air navigation and to which contracting states will conform in accordance with the Convention. ICAO introduced Standards and Recommended Practices in civil aviation.

The International Standards Organisation’s ISO 9001:2000 specifies requirements for a quality management system, where an organisation needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently meet customer and applicable regulatory requirements, and aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system.

The ISO system includes Social Responsibility Management, which requires that you need to establish a meaningful framework embedding responsible decision-making into all of your activities.

The main players in the Indian aviation sector are the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which controls all the departments in its fold (the Airports Authority of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Air India); private airlines; and the airport operators.

Every airport displays the ISO certificate prominently and every airline claims to be ISO certified on its Website or in its in-flight magazine. Do these airlines conform to Standards or do they think they have done better? They have double standards!

Short of standards

The DGCA has been found wanting in several areas by the ICAO. Yet, the regulator has failed to improve its own standards. The failure to regulate has virtually killed the aviation sector in India. The extended term of the current DGCA ends in November. One should hope that the Prime Minister’s office, which has approved four extensions, overlooking the merits of qualified staff, restores confidence in that department.

Unless this vital department understands the meaning of Standards, safety is in peril. The Department needs an independent and honest head with professional knowledge who can stand up to the Ministry and the bureaucracy.

The AAI has done nothing worthwhile to warrant ISO rating. Its continued violation of ICAO standards makes it responsible for the downward spiral of aviation safety in India. The quality of its service has deteriorated mainly because of the lack of professionalism at the top. Both the DGCA and AAI have been blessed with figureheads rather than professionals who can enforce standards. AAI uses equipment that does not conform to ICAO standards. Documented proof has been furnished to it in the form of the ICAO Annex and expert opinions. Yet, it chooses to ignore the evidence.

In the doldrums

Airlines are in the doldrums and have cut back on operations. A case in point is Singapore Airlines reducing its flight frequency to Chennai. Yet, in India, ill-conceived projects are being pushed through. This will be a big burden on the taxpayers. Singapore Airlines is the most profitable airline in the world because of its hands-on assessments. This is the difference in Standards!

Industry uses depreciation and book values for asset valuation and taxation purposes. The aviation industry is a perfect example of ‘never judge a book by its cover’. The standards have definitely depreciated and the book values of the various players are down to a tenth! Is this why they are asking for tax breaks? A bull-run in the stock market may bring cheer but bull-headed planning never succeeds. Both AAI and the airlines do not plan based on logical reasoning.

How else can one explain the huge, unviable projects that AAI is pressing on with in spite of lower air traffic projections worldwide. Jet Airways and other airlines continue to employ expatriate crew at high salaries and perks while holding the threat of pay cuts for the Indian crew. Just a week after getting a Rs 1,000-crore bailout and the drama of the sacked cabin crew, four expatriate captains were recruited. The DGCA, which is pushing for interest-free payouts, obliged by approving their appointment.

Huge debt

Airlines owe several thousand crores of rupees not only to major oil companies but also to the AAI and private airport operators. These multi-crore defaults could not have emerged overnight; they must have been building up over a period. Banks have been lending huge sums on non-existent collateral. The financial crisis has burst the bubble.

There are no accountability standards in any of the departments in the aviation sector. It is time to remember Abraham Lincoln’s famous statement: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

In October 1908, 23 balloons set off on an air race across the English Channel. Only three finished the race. In the 1990s, only three airlines survived the aviation downslide. In 2008, the results may be similar. Which three will survive the financial bloodbath is anybody’s guess.

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