A two-member inspection staff of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has discovered lapses in internal safety audits of Air India and the regulator is probing the matter, in response to officers.
When contacted, an Air India spokesperson mentioned that each one airways are topic to common safety audits by regulators and different our bodies.
“Air India actively engages in such audits to continually assess and strengthen our processes,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement and added that the airline instantly addresses any issues raised with the authority involved.
According to the inspection report submitted to the DGCA, the airline was supposed to hold out common safety spot checks in numerous areas of operations comparable to cabin surveillance, cargo, ramp and cargo however throughout a random inspection of 13 safety factors, the staff discovered that the airline ready false studies in all 13 circumstances.
“Moreover, when cross-verified with CCTV, recordings, auditee statements, shift register documents, GD (General Declaration) list, passenger manifest etc, it is understood that all the aforesaid 13 spot checks shown to be carried out in stations Mumbai, Goa and Delhi were verified and were established to have not been actually performed,” the two-member staff mentioned in the ‘Deficiency Reporting Form’ (DRF).
The inspection discovered that these studies “were subsequently prepared/falsified when demanded by the DGCA team”.
Further, the inspection report famous that these solid spot examine studies weren’t signed by the Chief of Flight Safety (CFS) who has the authority to do it.
The staff visited Air India’s workplace in Gurugram in Haryana on July 25 and 26, and after inspection, they talked about the lapses in the DRF.
When contacted, DGCA Director General Vikram Dev Dutt mentioned the matter is being investigated by the regulator.
According to the inspection report, the checklists have been bodily signed by an auditor from the Quality Management System (QMS) Department which doesn’t fall below the approval and inspection scope of the DGCA and has totally different eligibility standards/qualification trade requirements.
The inspection report mentioned the staff didn’t discover any written communication for the delegation of authority to the auditor. “Also other than verbal confirmation by CFS, there were no email correspondences and authorisation by the CFS for the aforementioned sport checks,” it mentioned.
As per the inspection report, relating to the Pre-Flight Medical Examination (alcohol consumption take a look at of pilots), Air India claimed that it carried out the spot examine however the staff discovered that the airline’s internal auditor “had not physically visited the facility which is mandatory to satisfy many items of the checklist”.
“Also, the equipment details and test readings have not been noted on the checklist. Merely, all the points have been marked as satisfactory without actually performing the spot check,” it mentioned.
With respect to ramp providers, the inspection staff discovered that the airline’s spot examine listing talked about the title of an individual because the obligation officer however there was no such individual in the mentioned shift.
“It has also been confirmed by the auditee department that there were no spot checks carried out on the subject date in the said area. Merely, all the points have been marked as satisfactory without actually performing the spot check,” it mentioned.
As far as spot examine in cabin surveillance was involved, the inspection staff discovered that the airline claimed to have carried out it on July 16, 2023, but it surely was not carried out and “the claimed auditor was merely travelling in the said flight as a passenger with family members”.
Further, the inspection staff mentioned the airline was unable to supply the flight safety auditors listing on time.
“Subsequently, the list was only provided at the end of the inspection which included the auditors of QMS as well whose qualification/eligibility is different from that stipulated in the FSM (Flight Safety Manual). As the QMS does not come under the ambit of DGCA, the CAR (Civil Aviation Requirements) doesn’t specify the qualifications of the QMS auditors,” the staff mentioned.
Further, the operator was unable to supply the precise flight safety auditors’ listing and their authorisations when sought by the inspection staff to distinguish the flight safety from the QMS auditors, it added.
“All aviation companies, including Air India, are subject to regular safety audits by regulators and other bodies both in India and overseas.
“Air India actively engages in such audits to repeatedly assess and strengthen our processes. We instantly handle any issues raised with the authority involved,” the Air India spokesperson mentioned in the assertion.
