India’s aviation safety norms match ICAO, European Union standards: Naidu

New Delhi: India’s DGCA has comprehensive and structured regulations for safe operation of aircraft and their maintenance, which are continuously updated and aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu told the Parliament on Thursday.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also has a structured surveillance and audit framework in place for planned and unplanned surveillance of organisations and aircraft, which includes regular and periodic audits, spot checks, night surveillance and ramp inspections across all operators, including continuous oversight of maintenance practices. In case there is a violation, the aviation regulator takes enforcement action as per its Enforcement Policy and Procedure Manual, the minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question.

The question pertained to the air safety measures being taken against the backdrop of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.

Naidu also said that the aircraft bearing registration VT-ANB, which crashed, underwent routine maintenance and safety inspections as per the approved maintenance program in compliance with DGCA regulations and the manufacturer’s guidelines.

He further stated that there are 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in the fleet of Indian carriers. Out of which, 31 operational aircraft have been inspected, wherein minor findings were observed in 8 aircraft. These aircraft have been released for operation post rectification. The remaining two aircraft are under scheduled maintenance.

Naidu said that India has ratified the Montreal Convention, 1999 by making amendments to the Carriage by Air Act, 1972 in 2009, which inter alia provides the liabilities of carriers for compensation in case of death, delay, damage or loss to persons, baggage, or cargo for international carriage.

The minister said Air India has informed that it has released an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the Next of Kin (NoK) of 128 deceased persons as on July 18. For the remaining deceased, the payment of interim compensation is in various stages of document submission by the NoK. The process for the final compensation will be initiated after the completion of the disbursement of interim compensation.

Air India has also informed that the registration of the requisite Trust by TATA Sons has been completed on July 18, and the airline is in the process of initiating the requisite documentation and verification formalities to enable the disbursement of the voluntary ex gratia payment of Rs 1 crore each to the NoK of the deceased. Further, Air India is assisting families of the deceased and injured in various ways, such as travel arrangements, accommodation, medical expenses and immediate cash payments to daily wage earners who were injured, the minister said.

He further stated that a preliminary report on the accident has been published by AAIB on July 12 and is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The investigation is in progress to determine the probable causes and contributory factors leading to the accident, the minister added.

–IANS