Drones, laser interference, bird strikes addressed in 5-yr aviation safety plan

MUMBAI:THE Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced a five-year national aviation safety plan (NASP) to improve flying safety standards in light of dangers posed by emerging issues such as drones and non-reporting of minor errors during flight operations.

The plan also identifies problems arising due to loss of control in flight which includes laser interferences, runway excursions and overruns, wildlife and bird strikes, ramp safety, maintenance, aviation procedures and documentation of processes.

A senior DGCA official said,

“The NASP is the outcome of the recent audits and for the upcoming audit by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).”

ICAO, in its last visit to India in November 2017, had indicated it was dissatisfied with the existing licensing system for air traffic

controllers (ATCOS) — selected on the basis of exams but ICAO recommends licences that are conditionally renewed. As part of NASP, DGCA has also asked Airports Authority of India to maintain a database of communication errors between ATCOS and pilots .

Although NASP is meant to be in place for five years, the aviation regulator said its targets are fixed for the first two years based on the performance of previous years. Former air force pilot and aviation expert Vipul Saxena said, “Though NASP indicates a change, it is too late to start this process before the upcoming ICAO audit. If DGCA executes this plan, India’s safety standards will be world class.”

Aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganathan said, “There is no fixed period for ICAO audits. India has been saying it was monitoring and correcting issues, which leads to frequent ICAO visits.”