Air India, GoAir under DGCA lens over rule violation on Leh flights

NEW DELHI: Air India and GoAir have come under the scanner of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviatio (DGCA), for allegedly violating safety norms while operating flights to Leh recently. The DGCA has already started its investigation in the alleged violations and may issue a notice to the two carriers shortly in this regard, official sources said.

“Though the investigation are being carried out, initial probe suggests that the two airlines violated safety norms by going ahead with the landing despite adverse weather conditions,” a source said, adding, the DGCA has already called the four commanders of the two airlines, who operated these flights, for questioning.

The violation took place on June 26 when these carriers operated four flights — two each of Air India and GoAir — to Leh from Delhi in bad weather, the sources said.

While Jet Airways, which also flies to Leh, did not operate its flight after receiving the weather forecast, both Air India and Go-Air went ahead and landed their flights amid dense cloud conditions and raining, violating safety norms for operations in hilly terrains and thereby endangering the safety of over 575 persons on board. The two Air India flights had 107 and 109 persons onboard respectively while GoAir had 166 and 185 persons respectively onboard its two flights to Leh on June 26.