DGCA says it is safe to fly in planes

Foreign airlines too reported snags; glitches reported on flights normal

All snags experienced are routine and happen with all airlines and all types of fleet. What they required was troubleshooting, replacement of some component say windshield due to outer layer crack, defective valve, highpressure switch, landing gear uplock, hydraulic accumulator or an engine. — ARUN KUMAR, DGCA chief

New Delhi, July 31: Aviation watchdog DGCA’S chief Arun Kumar on Sunday said technical snags faced by domestic carriers in recent weeks did not have the potential to cause havoc and that even foreign airlines that came to India reported 15 technical snags in the last 16 days.

The country’s civil aviation space is “absolutely safe” and all protocols laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation are followed, he said.

Against the backdrop of a spate of technical snags suffered by Indian airlines in recent weeks and DGCA curtailing operations of Spicejet, Kumar stressed there is no need to panic as none of the events that were reported/discussed had the potential to cause havoc.

“All the snags experienced are routine and happen with all airlines and all types of fleet. In the last 16 days, even for the foreign operators who come to India, we have seen 15 technical snags, which have been attended and rectified,” Kumar said in an interview.

Specific details about snags that were faced by the overseas carriers were not disclosed. According to Kumar, the snags faced by the foreign operators were similar to that encountered by the Indian carriers.

“What most of them (recent incidents of technical snags) required was troubleshooting, replacement of some component say windshield due to outer layer crack, defective valve, high-pressure switch, landing gear uplock, hydraulic accumulator or an engine,” Kumar said.

The regulator has started a two-month-long special audit of airlines to address possible issues and has curtailed the operations of Spicejet, among other measures, amid a spurt in instances of technical snags.

After being severely hit by the Coronavirus pandemic, the domestic civil aviation sector is on the recovery path and on average, there are more than 6,000 aircraft movements in the Indian airspace daily. If overflying planes are also taken into account, the total would be over 7,000 movements.

Aircraft movements include landings as well as departures.