Chennai: Following the disappearance of IAF aircraft AN-32 with 29 passengers on board last Friday, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked all the commercial airlines to make sure that the upkeep of aircraft are strictly followed.
“We have received oral instructions couple of days back from the DGCA to make sure that all the maintenance and up keeping routines are followed as per norms,” said an Air India official. DGCA is responsible for implementing, controlling, and supervising airworthiness standards, safety operations and crew training in India.
“According to DGCA norms all commercial flights should be checked for maintenance daily. Besides daily check up, every flight should undergo a mass maintenance check every week. The mass check up would take four to five hours and every aspect of the maintenance would be checked,” an airline official noted and added that all airlines follow the routine without fail.
For example, Air India has 118 aircraft in its fold while its Express service has 18 planes. Totally AI manages 136 flights daily. Of the 136 aircraft, 63 are owned by AI and the rest leased planes. All these planes are checked and maintained rigorously and routinely.
AI's own planes include Airbus 319, Airbus 320, Airbus 321, Boeing 300 and Boeing 777. According to AI official, these own aircraft are used for maximum of 15 to 20 years. After that they are disposed as scrap after selectively removing parts, which are reusable.
In the case of leased aircraft, AI pick up only new planes from sellers. “Leased aircraft are used for five years and after that those planes are given back to the company and AI goes for fresh lease,” noted the officer.
According to a captain of a private airline, India has one of the toughest norms when it comes to assessing airworthiness of an aircraft. “It begins with pilot and engineers walking around the plane every time before taking off.
From walk around inspection to strict maintenance regimes, the routine for every plane is very rigid. DGCA is supposed to monitor these reports, signed and counter signed by engineers from the quality control and maintenance department of each airlines on daily basis,” noted the captain.
