Rule-flouting pilot now training chief of KFA

Kingfisher Airlines has reinstated a pilot, who was charged with flouting DGCA norms on a Delhi-Mumbai flight last month, as its chief of pilot training.

On August 19, the commander of flight IT 304 between Delhi and Mumbai flouted Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) norms and flew with a woman in the cockpit.

According to a source, "in less than a month, the person has been reinstated as head of training in Kingfisher Airlines. This is even after violating a DGCA norm. The airline spokesperson did not comment on a mail sent to him on this issue on Thursday. "No comments please," he said in an subsequent text message.

According to rules, a pilot cannot fly an outsider in the cockpit even if a co-pilot is present. The rules also say that cockpit has to have two members. If, for some reason, either the pilot or commander has to leave the cockpit, a cabin crew member stays inside. The rule of locking the cockpit doors was put in place after the 9/11 attacks.

This incident comes at a time when the DGCA has almost given a clean chit to Kingfisher Airlines with regard to safety issues. The regulator has said that there are only procedural issue and no safety issues pertaining to the airline. Attempts made to contact DGCA chief Arun Mishra through calls and SMS did not yield any response.

An earlier safety audit, carried out in Kingfisher Airlines had highlighted several shortcomings, especially in connection with maintenance engineers and pilots.

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