The Delhi High Court has solicited from the civil aviation regulator, DGCA about their latest position regarding air safety, probe into aircraft accidents and recruitment of flight operations inspector. The full bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar has been asking for the information after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) claimed that they have been following all precautions to ensure flight safety in the country.
With the given direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing.The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation alleging that there are many private airlines who are trying to violate and circumventing mandatory provisions for air safety and airworthiness issued by the DGCA.The plea has also claimed that the regulator has no mechanism to effectively check the non-compliance and blatant violation of the provisions.
Refuting the allegations made in the public interest litigation, the DGCA said that it has safety oversight and surveillance programmes for airworthiness management and aircraft maintenance.It told the court that all of the civil aviation planes in operation in the country are following the aircraft maintenance programme.The regulator also claimed that there is no shortage of flight operation inspectors.However, the petitioner, Alok Kumar, has claimed that there are 72 vacant posts of flight operation inspectors in the DGCA.
