NEW DELHI: With instances ranging from reports of poor upkeep of aircraft interiors to passenger injuries onboard airborne flights, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated night checks of stationary aircraft to keep a tab.
"We are carrying out night checks and it is a part of our routine surveillance work. The focus is to get things right and not permit an aircraft with safety issues to fly," DGCA chief Arun Kumar told TNIE.
The aircraft that would be under the scanner are the ones that have been in service for long to ensure that their fitness levels continue to be high, which would ensure airworthiness.
The spate of incidents that have been reported in the recent past has been instrumental in conducting these checks. Last month a passenger travelling on an Air India flight tweeted about the aircraft’s shabby interiors which included a broken armrest. The DGCA pulled up the airline and all the required repairs were made.
SpiceJet has been in the news too recently for all the wrong reasons. The first was regarding an incident wherein a flight from Mumbai to Durgapur after facing turbulence led to around 17 passengers suffering injuries. They had to be taken to a hospital on landing. And more recently another SpiceJet aircraft within five minutes of takeoff from Chennai had to make an emergency landing as its engine wasn’t working. This B737 Max aircraft was subsequently grounded and DGCA has asked the airline to conduct thorough checks.
The entire fleet of aircraft operated by SpiceJet is being investigated. Most of these are under at night when the aircraft is parked.
The DGCA is reported to have asked the airlines to ensure good upkeep of the interiors of the aircraft too.
Airlines with an older fleet will be under the scanner. The regulator wants to ensure that passengers not just fly in aircraft that have well-maintained interiors but are also safe to operate.