New Delhi:
If you're not a nervous flier, this could change your mind.
Two pilots working for Alliance Air in Kolkata have violated basic safety rules in the last three months, putting hundreds of lives at risk. When NDTV accessed documents that established this, we alerted the Executive Director of the airline, Devi Sharan. That was more than three weeks ago. Records show both pilots are still being used.
Alliance Air - which is a subsidiary of national carrier Air India - operates low-cost flights popular between cities like Kolkata and others in the North East.
Records from the airline show that on March 20, a pilot operating a flight from Shillong to Kolkata decided at the last minute to change the runway he would use to take-off. Close to 30 passengers were on board. Records show there were strong winds near the airport. So the pilot decided to abandon Runway 04, used for virtually every plane taking off from Shillong. That's because the other runway -22 - is very short and faces a range of hills, factors that could lead to a crash. Alliance Air in fact forbids its pilots from using Runway 22 - a diktat the pilot ignored at the last minute.
The safety violation was noted by the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Shillong Airport but it did not file a complaint with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulatory body for all airlines.
When asked why, a representative for the Air Traffic Control said the final decision for how to take-off rests with the pilot. Odd, given that the ATC also agrees that it advises airlines not to use the highly-risky Runway 22.
"Every accident we have is because of these deviations. It is the basis of safety. We don't know what's going to happen. You might say he deviated and got away with it, but he made himself vulnerable and a liability on the company. He might do it again. You can't keep getting away with it. I would initiate strict action against him. If the airline has not taken an action against him they are aiding and abetting a person who is now putting lives in danger," said Retired Air Marshal Keelor, an aviation expert.
In another case of a basic safety law being broken, an Alliance Air pilot, who has a serious medical condition, has ignored the precautions required of him. NDTV has medical records filed with the DGCA that show this pilot's illness requires for another pilot, trained on the same aircraft, to accompany him. Basically, if the pilot has a medical emergency, there has to be someone equally experienced who can take over the controls.
But rosters for Alliance Air show this pilot has flown nearly 40 flights with at least 1200 passengers on board with a co-pilot not trained to operate a similar plane.
Alliance Air in Kolkata has a functional Flight Safety Department - the job of this 2-member team is to ensure that its staff and crew are following the rules. When contacted, the airline said, Air India strictly follows the rules, guidelines and procedures laid out by the regulator. It has an enviable track record of maintaining the highest standards of safety - both of its passengers and employees. No compromises are made on issues of safety."
Aviation experts say that because the aviation sector has expanded so quickly and so substantially in the last ten years, it's not uncommon for airlines to allow some bending of the rules for pilots who are in short supply.
Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said, "I don't have the documents...our first and prime concern is safety...I will do everything to protect passengers." His priority, he said, would be to ask the DGCA to submit a report on these two cases; he said he will also discuss the matter with the management of Air India.