Parl. Committee desires to know reasons behind aircraft accidents, remedial measures

New Delhi: Taking note of fixed wing aircraft accidents, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture desired to know the reasons behind such accidents and remedial measures taken to stop them.

In the action taken report of the Government, the Standing Committee noted with satisfaction that there have been no helicopter accidents in the years 2020 and 2021, as compared to two accidents in 2018 and three in 2019. However, it noted with serious concern that the fixed wing aircraft accidents have been increasing steadily from six in 2018 to seven each in 2019 and 2020 and nine accidents in 2021.

“The Committee would like to know the reasons for the steady increase in the number of accidents and remedial measures taken to stop them. The Committee also recommends that root cause for such accidents may be seriously investigated and recommendations of the investigation Reports may be implemented without any delay to reduce the number of accidents,” said the report.

It also desired to know the comments of the Ministry on its earlier recommendation that the Core Group on Safety may further devise a mechanism to ensure that damage caused by any sort of accident in the transport sector is minimised by timely and effective coordination between the various Ministries and Departments.

In its report, the Committee commended the steps taken to increase pilot training facilities.

“The Committee would also like to reiterate its recommendation to create provisions for creation of pilot training facilities with adequate space inside the airport may be incorporated at the DPR stage itself. Further, the Committee may be apprised of the action taken to remove the deficiencies emerging out of audit of these schools recently,” the report said.

In the report, the Committee noted the steps taken by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to fill up the existing vacancies/newly created posts of air traffic controllers (ATCOs) and desired to know the present status of the proposal for creation of 456 additional posts of ATCOs.

–IANS