Air India crash: Aviation chief defends safety record
The Economic Times newspaper found that the aviation regulator had recently summoned the airline's leadership after a series of alarming findings - not from routine audits, but triggered by a British aviation firm.The newspaper reported that it began earlier this year when two of SpiceJet's De Havilland Q400 turboprops showed premature propeller failures. The airline alerted Dowty Propellers, a GE Aerospace-led UK manufacturer, which found damage to the internal bearings of the propellers.Each propeller has bearings with two races, or rings or tracks. In this case, the inner race was damaged. Instead of addressing the root cause, SpiceJet "reportedly kept applying more grease to the [entire] unit instead of addressing the root cause". Frustrated by the lack of corrective action, Dowty escalated the issue directly to India's aviation regulator, the newspaper reported.The DGCA's own audit in April "revealed even more deficiencies, including snag occurrences", the report said.Mr Kidwai told the BBC that the "turboprop propeller issue came to our attention through one of SpiceJet's maintenance organisations". "We took it up with SpiceJet and we ensured they took corrective action. We also found out that the senior management was not fully aware of the situation. We took action against the various post holders who were supposed to ensure compliance with the original equipment manufacturer and other regulations. We directed SpiceJet to remove them and suspend a few of them which they did," he said.More recently, Reuters reported that the aviation watchdog reprimanded Air India's budget carrier in March for delaying mandatory engine part replacements on an Airbus A320 and falsifying records to show compliance. Air India Express told the news agency it acknowledged the error to DGCA and undertook "remedial action and preventive measures". Mr Kidwai told the BBC that the information in this case came through "self-reporting by the airline"."I would not condone it [the lapses]. But [at least] we have started getting these reports. This came from the airline. Action has been taken in this case. In our audits we have mandated our people to be more alert and see whether there is any lapse and bring it to our attention."
In May, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar faced severe turbulence and hail about 45 minutes after takeoff.The Airbus A321, carrying 222 passengers, reportedly encountered extreme vertical air currents - updrafts followed by downdrafts - that dislodged overhead bins and caused nose damage. The crew declared an emergency and safely landed at Srinagar with no injuries. The regulator launched an investigation, during which two pilots were grounded.Mr Kidwai told the BBC that the regulator had now "refined" its guidelines for pilots flying in turbulent conditions.For instance, if there's significant cloud cover or any weather pattern that poses a risk - and "we've clearly defined what constitutes such a risk" - pilots are now required to take specific action a set number of nautical miles before reaching it, he said. "This could include diverting, going around, or taking other appropriate steps."Since 2020, Indian domestic carriers have reported 2,461 technical faults, according to the federal civil aviation ministry data. IndiGo accounted for over half (1,288), followed by SpiceJet with 633, and Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express with 389 cases, as of January 2025."Reporting of snags by airlines has gone up. This is good," Mr Kidwai said."I wouldn't say I'm pleased about it. But I do see value in the growing culture of reporting [snags]. It's far better for every snag to be brought to the attention of the authorities than keeping quiet and operating the aircraft." Mr Kidwai said with the number of flights increasing, it's important to "see whether the turnaround time for flights is adequate for [maintenance] checks or not".To be sure, demands on the regulator have grown: India has emerged as the third-largest passenger aviation market in the world. Yet, over the past two years, the ministry of civil aviation has faced budget cuts, reflecting a reduced financial priority for the sector.Today, the country's scheduled carriers operate nearly 850 aircraft - a significant increase from around 400 just a decade ago.The number of air passengers has more than doubled since 2014–15 - from 116 million to 239 million.The number of commercial aerodromes has also seen a substantial rise - from around 60-70 a decade ago to nearly 130-140 today."In total, including both scheduled and non-scheduled operators, we now have 1,288 aircraft in operation. By the end of the decade, we are projected to operate over 2,000 aircraft," Mr Kidwai said. (Non-scheduled operators include charter airlines, private jet operators, air taxis and helicopter services.)So had the latest Air India crash dented the reputation of air travel in India? Mr Kidwai said the data didn't point to that."We looked at the data to assess whether it had any impact on domestic or international operations. There was no significant drop in traffic. At most, we observed a very marginal dip for a short period, affecting both domestic and international flights, along with a few cancellations," he told the BBC."It's natural for people to feel anxious after such incidents. But over time, as more clarity emerges and the situation is better understood, that anxiety tends to subside. Time is a great healer."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Meet the family where NINE sons have been RAF pilots... including WWI pioneer, hero member of The Few and now Chinook officer in the Middle East
The remarkable devotion to duty of a family who have had nine members serve as RAF pilots in various wars can be revealed. The Inglis-Williams' are believed to be the family who have contributed the most airmen to the RAF in its 107 year history. The extraordinary lineage includes a member of The Few, a senior intelligence officer who was on Adolf Hitler's hit list and the man who came up with the 'Little Ships' plan for Dunkirk. Other family members distinguished themselves in the experimental early aviation age in the Royal Flying Corps in World War One. One of the airmen miraculously survived falling out of a plane without a parachute at 500ft. Another was tragically killed when he was hit by a tanker in the Bay of Biscay. Anthony Inglis-Williams has told the stories of his heroic ancestors in a new book, A Family of Aviators at War. His son, Flight Lieutenant Dominic Howard-Williams, of 18 Squadron, is the latest member of the dynasty, flying Chinooks in the Middle East and Estonia. Anthony, 73, a symphony orchestra conductor from Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, said: 'I have spoken to senior people in the RAF and they don't know of another family quite like it. 'I knew eight out of the nine and I'm incredibly proud of what they did. 'It is only since Lockdown that I researched their lives and I just wish I knew more about their accomplishments when they were alive but they were from the generation who did not want to talk about the war. 'I think there were lots of painful memories of lost friends. 'They were night fighters, pathfinders, Battle of Britain pilots, but none was killed in active service, which when you consider the high attrition rate is remarkable. 'My son flies Chinooks in the RAF now so he is carrying on the tradition.' Anthony's grandfather, Air Commodore El (Bill) Howard-Williams, was an observer in a Sunbeam Short in 1916 when the novice pilot stalled and got into a flat spin, causing the machine to turn upside down. Not wearing a seatbelt, he fell into the Suez Canal from the great height but somehow resurfaced and swam to safety. He later said that his hard hat and bulky flying jacket saved his life. His pilot, Sub Lieutenant Clifford, remained in the aircraft and was killed. By the start of the Second World War, he had risen up the ranks to become Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding's number two. His other grandfather, Air Vice-Marshal Frank Inglis, was chief of RAF Intelligence during the Second World War and was sent to Pearl Harbour by Churchill to persuade US President Franklin D Roosevelt of the merits of a 'Germany First' policy. He was on Adolf Hitler's hit list of 2,820 people for execution had Germany won the war. Anthony's great-uncle, Air Commodore William Helmore, was a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) pilot during the First World War. His other great uncle, Air Marshall Sir Victor Goddard, was senior air commander to Lord Gort of the British Expeditionary Force during 1940. He is said to have come up with the idea of sending 'Little Ships' to Dunkirk to evacuate BEF troops, which enabled 330,000 men to fight another day. Gort had asked him to persuade Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, 1st Sea Lord, of the importance of sending more than the planned four destroyers to aid the evacuation of the British Army. In the meeting, he suggested including private civilian yachts, lifeboats and other small vessels in the mass evacuation, as they could reach the dunes at La Panne. Air Marshall Goddard was played by Sir Michael Redgrave in the film The Night My Number Came Up. His father, Squadron Leader Jeremy Howard-Williams, was a night fighter pilot flying Beaufighters and Mosquitoes, who did a tour of duty in the legendary John 'Cat's Eyes' Cunnigham's 604 Squadron. Wing Commander Cunningham shot down at least 16 German aircraft, which it was claimed owed much to a large consumption of carrots sharpening his eyesight, Anthony's uncle, Wing Commander Peter Howard-Williams, was a distinguished Spitfire day fighter pilot who served with 19 Squadron in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. A severe bout of appendicitis took him out of action for a few months but he returned to the cockpit with 118 Squadron in 1941 to earn a Distinguished Flying Cross for daring attacks on shipping and other targets on the coastline of occupied France. He sunk one armed ship and damaged several others, while once surviving being jumped by nine Fw 190s. He managed to shoot one of the enemy down before limping home in his shot-up aircraft, landing in a field on the Isle of Wight. His DFC citation reads: 'This officer has participated in 24 operational sorties, including attacks on shipping and targets on the enemy occupied coastline of France. 'In the course of these operations he has been responsible for the sinking of one armed ship and damaging several others. 'In addition, he has attacked enemy wireless stations and a number of anti-aircraft posts, inflicting heavy damage. 'He has displayed exceptional keenness and, on many occasions, has obtained information which has proved of great value. 'He has destroyed two enemy aircraft and has set a splendid example of coolness, resource and fearlessness.' Wing Commmander Howard-Williams played himself in the 1942 film First of the Few starring David Niven and Leslie Howard, the only film to be sanctioned by Winston Churchill to be shot on an active airfield. He later wrote in his private papers, which have been poured through by Anthony: 'I must admit that in 1940 we always considered ourselves the good guys and the Germans the bad guys. 'I don't mean that we thought we were fighting a great evil – it wasn't until 4 years later that we all learnt of the horrors of the concentration camps Auschwitz–Buchenwald–Dachau and the extermination of over 6 million Jews in the gas chambers.' Anthony's Pathfinder hero uncle, Group Captain Peter Helmore, of 27 Squadron, was killed when his yacht was hit by a tanker in the Bay of Biscay in 1969. He and his crewman Giles Baker were sailing to Ankara in Turkey when they were caught in a storm nine miles west of Cadiz and were mowed down by a 4,500 tons Spanish tanker without a working radar. The first the bridge crew knew of the collision was seeing a mast scrape down the side of the tanker. By the time they had turned around, there was no sign of wreckage or human life. The family's ranks are completed by other great-uncle Flight Lieutenant Cecil Turner, who flew in the 1930s and then calibrated radar sites during the war, and his uncle Air Commodore William Helmore. Air Commodore Helmore invented the Helmover Torpedo and broadcast live from a Liberator over the D-Day beaches on June 6, 1944.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
Pilot ‘didn't send mayday call' before plane vanished without a trace as search for missing couple on board continues
A PILOT flying off Australia with his partner and their dog reportedly failed to contact authorities before their plane disappeared. The two-seater aircraft took off from George Town in Northern Tasmania on Saturday afternoon. 5 On board was a man in his 70s, a female passenger in her 60s, and their dog, but none have been seen or heard from since. The plane was set to stop in Leongatha in southern Victoria, before continuing to on to Hillston Airport in New South Wales. But the aircraft never made it to its first stop — and no mayday call or radio contact was ever made. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed the pilot didn't make contact before takeoff, but added it's still investigating whether the plane disappeared before such communication was required. The move has since stunned aviation experts, with George Town flight instructor Eugene Reid telling ABC: 'You have to do scheduled reporting. 'On leaving the coast, they should have called up air services.' Compounding the mystery, the aircraft was reportedly equipped with an emergency satellite beacon, which should have triggered if anything had gone wrong — but no signal was detected. Reid also noted that local airports like George Town don't always track individual flight plans. 'If someone took their plane out of the hangar and flew away, well, you wouldn't know,' he said. The revelation has since intensified the urgency of the multi-agency search, which entered its third day on Monday. Ex- fighter pilot and son, 13, feared dead after plane crashed off Majorca as wreckage found near tourist hotspot Authorities are scouring vast stretches of northern Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southern Victoria with helicopters, aircraft, and marine crews. They say the focus remains on finding the pair alive. Police have confirmed the couple, both Tasmanian residents, were travelling to visit family in NSW when they disappeared. AMSA confirmed the aircraft disappeared over Bass Strait after leaving George Town around 12.45pm. The alarm was raised shortly after 5pm on Saturday by concerned relatives after the pair failed to arrive in NSW. Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark said the pilot was 'very experienced' and a key member of the local aero club. But he added the plane itself was 'new to him,' having only been purchased three to four months ago. 'We believe he has had several flights prior to this incident,' Clark said. 'Any body of water is difficult to search. The main thing is, though, that this is still a search operation.' 5 5 The disappearance triggered an immediate and large-scale search effort, coordinated by AMSA. Air and marine assets from Tasmania Police, Victoria Police, and regional airline Par Avion have been combing the area. AMSA previously said: 'Just after 5pm on Saturday evening, concern was raised after the aircraft failed to land in Central Western NSW. 'Search efforts are underway across northern Tasmania around George Town, over the Bass Strait and southern Victoria around Morwell and Leongatha.' Anyone travelling near George Town, crossing Bass Strait, or along southern Victoria's coastline is urged to report any signs of wreckage to AMSA or Tasmania Police immediately. In a direct appeal to the public, Inspector Clark said: 'Keep a lookout for any debris or something as simple as a life jacket or some aeroplane parts. 'If you find people in the water and it's safe to do so, please render them assistance.'
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling development after plane vanishes without a trace off the coast of Australia
A pilot flying across Bass Strait with his partner and pet dog made no contact with authorities before the plane disappeared, according to officials. An extensive multi-agency search for the bright green light aircraft across two states entered its third day on Monday. The light plane carrying the pilot, aged in his 70s, and a female passenger, in her 60s, took off George Town airport in northern Tasmania early Saturday afternoon. It was due to make a stop in Leongatha in southern Victoria before continuing to Hillston Airport, near Condobolin in central-west NSW. The aircraft never made it to Leongatha. It has since been revealed that the pilot didn't make contact with air authorities prior to taking off. 'You have to do scheduled reporting,' George Town flight instructor Eugene Reid told the ABC. 'On leaving the coast, they should have called up air services.' The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed the pilot made no contact with authorities but is yet to ascertain whether the plane disappeared before such contact was required. The plane should have been equipped with an emergency satellite beacon in case anything went wrong, according to Mr Reid. He added that George Town Airport wouldn't necessarily have a record of the pilot's plans. 'If someone took their plane out of the hangar and flew away, well, you wouldn't know,' he said. It's understood the experienced pilot was flying a plane that was relatively new to him. Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark told reporters on Sunday the pilot was believed to be 'very experienced'. 'The pilot was heavily involved with the aero club here at George Town,' he said. However, said that t he plane was 'new to (the pilot)', as he had only purchased it three or months before the disappearance. 'We believe he has had several flights prior to this incident.' 'Any body of water is difficult to search, the main thing is, though that this is still a search operation.' Inspector Clark added that the couple were heading to NSW to visit family, who raised the alarm late Saturday afternoon. Authorities urge anyone near George Town or transiting the waters in northern Tasmania and Bass Strait, or southern Victoria near Leongatha to keep a lookout for for the missing aircraft and its occupants. Regional airline Par Avion is assisting with air search efforts.
