Sunday, September 21, 2014

AI operates flight with 'unserviceable' door!

Mumbai: In a case that may have compromised the safety of passengers, the pilot of an Air India flight, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad leg, was directed by a senior airline executive to declare one of the doors of the aircraft as "unserviceable", on account of a shortage of crew and to avoid consequent delay.

The incident happened last Sunday when flight AI 144 arrived in Mumbai from Newark and was to proceed to Ahmedabad. The pilot refused to comply with the order and the flight got delayed by about four hours.

On Wednesday, the pilot was derostered and ten cabin crew members suspended for not reporting for duty on time.

Airline sources said on Saturday that the action against the pilot was wrong as he would not operate the flight without the adequate crew complement.

This was also why the executive director of in-flight service, Harpreet Singh, asked the pilot to declare one of the doors "unserviceable". The pilot did not obey as it would amount to a violation of safety rules laid down by the Directorate of Civil Aviation.
21/09/14 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline