- India as a nation aspires to be recognized and counted among the developed countries sooner than later. Indications are quite welcoming pointing to how Indian leadership has consistently strived to position the country among the most prominent countries courtesy of passionate efforts. The Indian economy is doing much better than many countries and is poised to be among the three largest in the coming years. When even the most developed countries are struggling to overcome debilitating economic meltdowns owing to geopolitical situations emerging out of ill-advised misadventures, the Indian economy offers a beacon of hope by the way our growth prospects appear. The emphasis on infrastructure apying off as things stand now.
PC: Pravesh Maurya
- Mind you, soon after the global economy attempted to emerge out of the pandemic-induced challenges, the Indian leadership wisely laid tremendous emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure including the roadways, seaways, and the airways. No wonder the pace of infrastructure being built is admirable and showcases the efficiency with which the Union Government goes about strengthening this crucial aspect. Most notably, affordable air travel has ensured even ordinary citizens have no qualms in opting for the fastest mode without feeling too much pinch in their budget. However, the aviation sector in the country is in the news for all the wrong reasons, mostly for compromising on the safety aspects.
- As reported recently, Air India’s chief of flight safety was suspended for a month by aviation regulator DGCA as it found transgression of safety protocol during a surprise inspection. What made the alarm bells ring frantically was the way reports were falsified on safety spot checks in Delhi, Mumbai, and Goa. Note that procedures were flouted for pre-flight medical tests of pilots. Further, lapses were noted in aircraft cabin surveillance. Air India, which has 73% of the domestic market share with Indigo, has accepted DGCA’s findings of the mentioned lapses. Of course, it also claimed safety is its top priority. The moot point to ponder over here is are we entirely reassured? Safety is the non-negotiable aspect of air travel. Period, no questions asked.
PC: TTG Asia
- As you are aware, Air India under its new owners has launched a new logo, livery, and ordered a whopping 470 new aircraft worth $70 billion. The airline is well-funded. As such, the lapses are either due to a sloppy attitude to safety, or they show that even Air India is struggling to cope with a skills shortage. The aviation sector’s manpower problems are of both quantity and quality. The latter is thanks in part to inferior training. All of this shows up in shortcomings in maintenance SOPs, and inadequate compliance. The gap in critical trained manpower for maintenance, repairs, and overhaul organizations clearly cannot be left to be filled by airlines alone. The Civil Aviation Ministry must work with the industry to ensure technicians are trained in aircraft maintenance.
