The DGCA aviation regulator has published a notice of justification in Indigo to claim that simulator training keys carried out for nearly 1,700 drivers, according to sources.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted that category C – or the critical aerodrome – for the two pilots at the controls and the first officers was exempt using unskilled simulators. The violations were revealed during an examination of the training files and responses from the airline at the end of July.
According to AviationnewsThe regulator has determined that training for critical airports such as Calicut, Leh and Kathmandu was carried out on complete flight (FFS) simulators (FFS) for these airports, as required by civil aviation (CAR) requirements. Airports like Calicut, which has a table track, require additional operational guarantees.
A DGCA review has identified 20 simulators of this type in several installations – notably Acat in Chennai, Airbus in Delhi, CSTPL in Bangalore, Greater Noida and Gurugram, as well as FSTC in Gurugram and Hyderabad. The list A Covered Airbus A320 and other variant simulators, many of which do not have the necessary approvals for the land and operational challenges in airports such as Calicut and Leh.
Under DGCA rules, airlines must ensure that the training of critical airports is carried out only on approved simulators for the specific aircraft model and the airport.
The director of security and compliance of line planes, Josh Wood, said,
“”Today’s development, combined with previous incidents and conformity failures, has led to the drop in the indigo safety rating to 5 out of 7. Personally, I think that the growth trajectory in India, associated with growing demand and the urgent need of pilots to exploit these planes, leads to shortcuts in the region and finally this will affect security. “”
In Indian aviation, a notice of justification is issued when regulators suspect a violation of security, compliance or operational requirements that require immediate explanations and corrective measures.
Indigo confirmed receipt of the notice, declaring:
“We confirm the reception of an exposure service notice issued by the DGCA concerning the training of the simulator of some of our pilots. We are examining it and will respond to the regulator in the stipulated calendar. We remain determined to guarantee the highest standards of safety and compliance through our operations. ”
This is not the first time that Indigo has faced such a action. In 2023, the DGCA carried out a special audit after four tail incidents involving Airbus A321 aircraft in six months. An exhibition notice issued on July 3 gave Indigo 15 days to answer. The airline’s response, submitted on July 19, claimed all the procedures but was deemed unsatisfactory. The DGCA subsequently imposed a fine of 30 Lakh and forced the carrier to modify the documentation, operational procedures, training protocols and its flight data monitoring program (FDM).
The DGCA aviation regulator has published a notice of justification in Indigo to claim that simulator training keys carried out for nearly 1,700 drivers, according to sources.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted that category C – or the critical aerodrome – for the two pilots at the controls and the first officers was exempt using unskilled simulators. The violations were revealed during an examination of the training files and responses from the airline at the end of July.
According to AviationnewsThe regulator has determined that training for critical airports such as Calicut, Leh and Kathmandu was carried out on complete flight (FFS) simulators (FFS) for these airports, as required by civil aviation (CAR) requirements. Airports like Calicut, which has a table track, require additional operational guarantees.
A DGCA review has identified 20 simulators of this type in several installations – notably Acat in Chennai, Airbus in Delhi, CSTPL in Bangalore, Greater Noida and Gurugram, as well as FSTC in Gurugram and Hyderabad. The list A Covered Airbus A320 and other variant simulators, many of which do not have the necessary approvals for the land and operational challenges in airports such as Calicut and Leh.
Under DGCA rules, airlines must ensure that the training of critical airports is carried out only on approved simulators for the specific aircraft model and the airport.
The director of security and compliance of line planes, Josh Wood, said,
“”Today’s development, combined with previous incidents and conformity failures, has led to the drop in the indigo safety rating to 5 out of 7. Personally, I think that the growth trajectory in India, associated with growing demand and the urgent need of pilots to exploit these planes, leads to shortcuts in the region and finally this will affect security. “”
In Indian aviation, a notice of justification is issued when regulators suspect a violation of security, compliance or operational requirements that require immediate explanations and corrective measures.
Indigo confirmed receipt of the notice, declaring:
“We confirm the reception of an exposure service notice issued by the DGCA concerning the training of the simulator of some of our pilots. We are examining it and will respond to the regulator in the stipulated calendar. We remain determined to guarantee the highest standards of safety and compliance through our operations. ”
This is not the first time that Indigo has faced such a action. In 2023, the DGCA carried out a special audit after four tail incidents involving Airbus A321 aircraft in six months. An exhibition notice issued on July 3 gave Indigo 15 days to answer. The airline’s response, submitted on July 19, claimed all the procedures but was deemed unsatisfactory. The DGCA subsequently imposed a fine of 30 Lakh and forced the carrier to modify the documentation, operational procedures, training protocols and its flight data monitoring program (FDM).
