The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday, 18 July, directed that all aircraft at base and transit stations shall be released by certifying staff holding licence, with appropriate authorisation.
This came after DGCA conducted spot checks, in the aftermath of increased reports of "engineering related occurrences" in several airlines.
The regulatory body, in its order, said that the checks had revealed:
1) Improper identification cause of a reported defect
2) Increasing trend of minimum equipment list (MEL) releases
3) Non Availability of certifying staff to cater to multiple scheduled arrivals/departures in a short interval
As recently as on 17 July, an IndiGo flight from Sharjah to Hyderabad was diverted to Pakistan’s Karachi airport as a precautionary measure after a technical snag was reported by the pilot.
Additionally, Air India Express's Calicut-Dubai flight was diverted to Muscat on 16 July following a burning smell in the cabin mid-air and a live bird was found in the cockpit of Air India Express' Bahrain-Kochi flight on 15 July.
What Else Did the DGCA Order Say?
"It has been seen that airlines are resorting to frequent one-off authorisation to Category A certifying staff at transit stations which is not line with existing provisions," the regulatory body said.
It further added that compliance with this directive will have to be ensured by 28 July.
Meanwhile, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting on safety issues with senior officials of his ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday, 17 July.
During the meeting, the minister took a detailed report from the officials about these incidents over the last one month and told them that there should be no compromise over passengers' safety.
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