DNA Edit: Aviation safety leaves much to be desired

Two incidents, in a span of two hours on Tuesday, have rekindled public discourse on passenger safety in aviation. In both cases, it was sheer providence that no lives were lost. The Mumbai-bound Jet Airways aircraft that skidded off the runway at Dabolim airport in Goa was carrying 154 passengers and 7 crew members. When a departing SpiceJet aircraft came face-to-face with an in-coming Indigo Airbus at Delhi Airport, it was a close shave for the 363 passengers on board the two planes. While the Civil Aviation Ministry has ordered customary probes, going by past records, they are least likely to bring about a lasting change in the aviation sector. Such incidents rarely create ripples in government circles. A few days after the helicopter crash in Mumbai’s Aarey colony on December 12, with three casualties, the state government is planning to revive the joyride business. Prima facie, the mishaps on Tuesday point to both criminal callousness and systemic inadequacies. They must be seen alongside a Directorate General of Civil Aviation report, which says that from January to October this year, 38 pilots and 113 cabin crew across airlines failed the alcohol test in pre-flight medical examination. Little wonder then, that the US Federal Aviation Administration had downgraded India’s civil aviation sector in 2014 for failing to measure up to international safety standards.

One shudders to think how hazardous air travel has become, thanks to inebriated pilots and cabin crew, an ageing fleet, and a lack of competent personnel at Air Traffic Control in the country’s busiest airports. Till November this year about 9.03 crore people flew domestically, registering a growth of 23.10 per cent in domestic air traffic as compared to 2015 when 7.34 crore passengers flew within the country. The numbers are likely to increase to 10 crore passengers by FY2017, according to a Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation report. Consequently, the Indian aviation industry is having a ball. It has witnessed a growth of 17.62 per cent over the previous year. At present, India is the ninth largest civil aviation market with a size of around $ 16 billion. Going by the current growth trajectory, it will be the biggest market by 2030.

It is imperative for various stakeholders, including the Central government, to firm up safety standards and work towards effective implementation. There should be a high benchmark for operational safety for the Indian Air Force as well. Lest we forget, the Antonov An-32 transport aircraft of the IAF had crashed into the Bay of Bengal in July, killing all 29 people on board.