Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought details from full-service airline Jet Airways on its flight delays and cancellations recently after some of its pilots reported sick. In fact, Jet Airways has also been asked to furnish details about pilots who are “habitually reporting sick” to work, a senior DGCA official said here on Friday.
“We have asked them how many flights were cancelled on Wednesday, how many pilots reported late and how many pilots are habitual in reporting sick,” the official said.
Earlier this week, several Jet Airways pilots reported sick and refused to accept the revised flight duties causing flight disruptions. As a result, Jet Airways had cancelled around 50 flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Press Trust of India. Although Jet Airways didn’t share the exact details about the affected flights, it said that its network has returned to normal, “following the resolution of issues caused by the non-availability of an unusually high number of pilots who had reported sick.”
SpiceJet Bombardier probe
DGCA has ordered a probe into a series of incidents related to SpiceJet’s two Bombardier Q400 planes that took place because of some defect in the landing gear of its aircraft.
SpiceJet has also taken up the issue with aircraft maker Bombardier, a senior DGCA official said.
One of the two nose wheel tyres deflated immediately after landing of the aircraft in a short span of six days in last few days, the official added.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said that it has taken all “precautionary” measures on its entire Q400 fleet following the incidents. “In the last five years no such incident has taken place. Coincidentally, these three instances have come to our notice. We have taken all precautionary measures on our entire Bombardier Q400 fleet. Passenger safety is paramount to SpiceJet,” SpiceJet corporate affairs' vertical head Ajay Jasra said.
