'Charade in the name of safety': Capt. Mohan Ranganathan on Indian aviation

Despite the downgrading of India by the US Federal Aviation Authority in 2014, do you think any lessons have been learned and corrective actions taken, like appointing more flight operations inspectors?

No. We are still well short of minimum number of Flight Operations Inspectors required as advised by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and FAA. The safety audits are not conducted to the minimum standards and all reports of safety being high is a mere charade.

Do you think the DGCA report on air safety violations could be a case of slipping safety standards?

Safety standards have never been high. It is because of false statistics and reports, we appear safe on paper. When you lack the minimum number of inspectors and there is an increase in fleet size, proper monitoring is not possible. The increase in number of violations is definitely alarming.

You have been a critic of the pilot training programme, the hasty promotion of co-pilots, and the lack of adequate rest for pilots? Does the blame lie with carriers or the lax regulatory structure?

Both carriers and regulators. In a safe airline environment, a copilot should be capable of bringing the aircraft down safely in the event of an incapacitation of the captain. Here, a 200-hour Cessna pilot is given minimum training on a high performance airline jet and pushed through the ranks just to fill the right seat. Even the Pilot Proficiency / Instrument Rating checks are conducted without completing the mandatory exercises. The DGCA turns a blind eye to these short cuts.

What are the reforms you would advocate so that carriers cannot give the short shrift to air safety?

We need an independent regulator who is a professional. We need transparency in safety standards and accident/incident investigations. Training standards have to be raised considerably to improve safety.

Investing in safety costs money. Is that why carriers are adopting this myopic attitude? What are the different ways in which carriers, especially low-cost carriers, are cutting corners?

Carriers give lip service to safety. Training is an area where cost cutting is high. Crew scheduling, where they flog crew with minimum rest and ignoring fatigue, is another strategy carriers have adopted to cut costs.

You spoke about an independent regulator. The civil aviation authority was proposed. The DGCA is always headed by an IAS officer. Why is the government so hesitant to allow aviation professionals run the civil aviation sector instead of career bureaucrats?

 As long as the Ministry of Civil Aviation controls everything you can’t expect safely to improve. Corruption and clueless heads are the reasons.

How do you think India will fare in the upcoming audit by the ICAO?

 Aerodromes and accident investigations will again get flagged. Our standards are pathetic.