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Kingfisher Airlines safety an issue: DGCA

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Kingfisher Airlines safety an issue: DGCA

Old 4th Jan 2012, 21:20
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Kingfisher Airlines safety an issue: DGCA

From the Times of India

"NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which carried out a financial audit of all domestic airlines has found sickness to be pretty endemic in the Indian aviation sector and suggested rather drastic remedies.

DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan finalized the financial surveillance report on December 28, 2011, which says it was unsafe for cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines to fly and should be wound up. The report says: "A reasonable case exists for withdrawal of their (Kingfisher's) airline operator permit (licence) as their financial stress is likely to impinge on safety."The report, which has been accessed by TOI, suggests similar steps against Air India Express. It says, "A prima facie case exists for restricting their operations in view of safety issues." The audit of the almost bankrupt Air India is still on, but the DGCA has found "major financial distress issues" with Jet Airways, JetLite, SpiceJet and GoAir. The reports also talks of "some rapid growth issues" about IndiGo.

Bhushan has summoned both Kingfisher and AI Express on Thursday (January 5) to explain what plans they have to recover from their current worrisome state. Unless convinced that these plans which would actually lead to the economic recovery of the two airlines and allow them to fly without compromising safety, the DGCA could take the extreme step of cancelling their licence or curtailing their flights.DGCA boss Bharat Bhushan is learnt to have taken a zero tolerance outlook to aviation safety and therefore come up with extreme recommendations for Kingfisher and AI Express. On Kingfisher, the DGCA finding report dated December 27, 2011, says: "The airline has 64 aircraft in its fleet out of which 20 (or nearly 1/3rd of its fleet) are grounded due to want of spares, engines, components, etc. There is a shortage of 12 engines for 7 aircraft of A-320 family and 16 engines for 9 aircraft of ATR family. Most of spares of ATR aircraft are not available... The airline is doing cannibalisation of parts. (For) example, 619 items have been removed from A-320 aircraft VT-ADR till November 17, 2011."The report adds about Kingfisher: "A total of 24 pilots have left the airline in past two months. During winter schedule 2011, the airline did not operate 175 daily flights due to non-availability of aircraft."

The report is scathing on AI Express - which just two years ago was involved in the horrific Mangalore crash - showing up the government's negligence of the national budget carrier. "There is shortage of pilots, check pilots, instructors, examiners and cabin crew... The airline is not able to operate its entire fleet due to shortage of pilots. Flight duty time limitation monitoring is carried out manually (not computerised). Training of pilots is carried out on Jet Airways' simulator as AI Express simulator remains unserviceable most of the time."While Kingfisher and AI Express are giving safety nightmares to the DGCA, other airlines - Jet, JetLite, IndiGo, SpiceJet, IndiGo, Alliance Air and GoAir - have been found to have issues like crew shortage, inadequate training programme for pilots which falls short of their schedule projections and lack of software to monitor flight parameters.Bhushan has asked the joint director-generals of civil aviation to call all these airlines and ask for explanations. They would be given a deadline for resolving safety issues. "The situation is grim, We can't allow cash-strapped airlines to play with peoples' lives. If someone does not have the resources to run operations safely by spending the required amount on maintenance, spares and other vitals, then he should close or pare down operations to a point where he can afford these essential items," said sources. "


Kingfisher Airlines safety an issue: DGCA - The Times of India
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Old 5th Jan 2012, 00:59
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This has to be a first!

Times of India actually printing a news item that is fit to print.

I'm sure that the DGCA will be very happy to see King Fisher disappear as fast as a cold glass of beer... more passengers for the national carrier.

Now, let's see what the DGCA is going to do about it's own, Air India and Express. Will they be as strict with them? Will they mete the same discipline to AI and AIX as KF?

Time will tell.

Last edited by captjns; 5th Jan 2012 at 01:14.
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Old 5th Jan 2012, 05:35
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Angry The Proverbial Stable Door

You have just got to wonder where the DGCA were when all this was unfolding...

None of it is new. But do they have any hope of sorting it out without major disruption of their air transport system? Do they have the political will?

Time may well tell many things - hopefully not punctuated by further loss of life!
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Old 5th Jan 2012, 14:29
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Best advice for those flying in and out of India is to use anything but an Indian airline company.
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 05:40
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Jet jockey A4

To say that all Indian carriers are dangerous without redemption is as rediculous to opine that Canada, the US, and UK are flawless in their operations and 100 spot on with repute.

Lets leave the expat factor out of this the sake of this discussion.

King Fisher is alleged to have safety issues as they are cannibalizing spares from grounded aircraft to keep other flying, not making payroll, not paying their bills, inadequate crewing, to name a few. It is not a reflection of the ability of their nor qualification of their crews. It's a reflection of the management of King Fisher.

Such association should not be applied to other private carriers such as Jet, jet Lite, Indio, Spice, nor GoAir. Yes they may be short on crews, but they pay their bills and make payroll and are not cannibalizing their grounded aircraft.

Private carriers are charged with extra fees that the national carrier, AI and AIX are not. Additional fees levied on private carriers are used to help fund AI and AIX.

It should be obvious to the casual observer that AI and AIX are privileged with special considerations that private carriers in India are not. It should be also be obvious to to the casual observer they would love to see the demise of the private carriers so that AI and AIX would once again enjoy the monopoly.

Remember, it's the travelling public that is responsible for the market share towards the private carriers based on fares, service, and on time performance.
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 06:22
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JetJockey

You either know nothing or just want to BS in here. There are numerous carriers
in India. Today the best of all seems to be Indigo. This no-nonsense airline seems to be all set to become India's largest and most successful carrier in a few years from now. Guys working there (both expats and locals) seem to be happy on their straight from factory planes. Based on the feedback I ve received they have excellent standards in place and a well defined management architecture as well.
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 06:34
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I am sorry, but as a frequent flyer to and over this particular region, the only thing popping to my mind, is that the lunatic run the asylum and now the blind give eyewitness news.

Denial is the worst enemy of getting things sorted out.

No one is against this region or people setting up strong aviation structures, competition is good, but at the moment most of the fellow aviators are more alert in this airspace and around such operators.

That is called experience and no argument can brush this aside except better experience.
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 12:17
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You have just got to wonder where the DGCA were when all this was unfolding...
Exactly my thought!
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 12:36
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I have been reading this forum for a few years, and there is always bashing of developing nations air carriers and pilots - Turkey, India, China etc.

If these nations don't have the ability to operate airlines, then why do aircraft manufacturers continue to sell them aircraft?

Pray tell by whose standard should we be measuring world aviation / carriers?
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 13:57
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It is not bashing.
I clearly stated that the things simply need to be sorted out, but not denied.
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Old 6th Jan 2012, 14:25
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Kingfisher are returning aircraft right now and will continue to do so - all types, A330, A320 and ATR turboprops. Many of the turboprops as widely reported are in bits.

The brewery is only concerned with protecting its image and the airline will be allowed to fail - however it wants to avoid the world seeing this as a collapse with multiple repossessions - so it will be a controlled handback of aircraft veiled as 'early returns', or 'negotiated handbacks.'
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 06:47
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DGCA turns down Kingfisher’s plea to take action against pilots - The Economic Times
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 08:36
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Maybe it's time for him (the owner) to get out of Formula 1 racing and start concentrating on running his airline business and paying his airline employees.
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 08:41
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They can't seriously expect their employees to work months on end without pay and then complain when they leave without serving their notice!
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 10:03
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What a joke of a regulator allowing this kind of behavior. They are definitely not looking after the flying public by allowing an airline to continue operations while they are not paying employees. Imagine the shortcuts in safety that must be taking place before an airline reaches the point of not being able to pay their employees. Safety costs money, and it is the first thing compromised when financial troubles come.

Do you think that sick engine that should be replaced is? Do you think that those conflicting MELs that are expired or recurring are safe? How about the pressure on pilots about making go/no-go decisions when they are not even being paid?

These are serious issues and show that the DGCA has done absolutely nothing to fix the mess which started with the fake pilot fiasco. I can't believe no one in government with authority steps in to challenge this before the body count starts to go up. Is there no one left in the thick Indian bureaucracy that has any integrity or concern for human life? WTF?

Quick, nobody smoke. You are all standing on a dry tinder box.
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 13:31
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From the articel:
The audit of the almost bankrupt Air India is still on ...
So, can we expect the national carrier to be sanctioned and wound up?
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 13:34
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I have dealings with VJ afore when he ran a Hawker & G-II, getting bills paid for services & fuel was a always a conflict. Threats had to made & withdrawn fuel always made the cash flow. Kingfisher was & still is an ego driven thing, as is the F1 team. The beer is **** awful as well
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 14:13
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Not just Kingfisher, but several operators in the Indian skies are in financial doldrums, in turn compromising safety. DGCA is waiting to crack the whip - when is the question, that too, subject to political will to act!
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Old 7th Jan 2012, 15:09
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Non payment on time is common in India. Although currently paid, there have been times when pay has been late when the boss has (i) asked for my help and (ii) reminded me how much he has invested.

I n a hierachial country with widespread corruption VJM will think he is top of the pile and beyond reproach

It is the downside of what is otherwise quite a nice place to be.
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Old 15th Jan 2012, 11:35
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How did this airline pass muster to join Oneworld...isn't there a safety audit?
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