The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is bracing for a safety oversight audit by the U.N. body, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in November this year. The aviation regulator is taking a series of steps to save it from the embarrassment of the 2012 audit in which the ICAO had raised safety concerns about India’s aviation system.
Fresh hiring
The measures include hiring flight operation inspectors, aligning its rules with ICAO norms, certifying flight examiners, among others.
The DGCA will be furnishing its response to the detailed protocol questionnaire posed by ICAO for its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) by August first week, officials said. This will be followed by a visit by ICAO officials to India from November 1-16 this year. “We have hired 67 flight operation inspectors and we plan to fill the remaining eight posts soon,” a senior DGCA official said, requesting anonymity.
To make the posts of flight operation inspectors attractive for experienced pilots, the DGCA offered them market-linked salary. “We managed to get the approval of the Finance Ministry within three days,” the official added.
The DGCA has also aligned most of its rules, known as civil aviation requirements (CAR), with the ICAO norms, another DGCA official said. The aviation regulator has been holding review meetings with airlines and airports every month for safety compliance. Further, DGCA has issued rules for allowing airlines to recommend appointing designated flight examiners for conducting flight tests and technical examinations.
“The designated examiner will conduct instrument rating checks, pilot licensing skill and proficiency checks on our behalf instead of our staff doing these checks. The airline will send us a proposal and we will certify the examiner,” the DGCA official said.
The ICAO conducts audit in areas related to legislation, organisation, licensing, operation, airworthiness, accident investigation, air navigation and aerodromes.
