Safety norms for small aircraft, copters soon

new delhi: concerned about growing number of air accidents, government today said it will soon come out with new safety guidelines and operational procedures for small aircraft and helicopters. “a separate wing has been constituted in dgca to look into the affairs of small planes and helicopters. we are reviewing the safety norms for these and a decision will be taken very soon,� civil aviation minister shahnawaz hussain said here. hussain said a committee of inquiry is going into the causes of the helicopter crash in andhra pradesh which killed lok sabha speaker g m c balayogi earlier this month. “we have invited comments on the safety and operations of single and double engine helicopters. besides, present norms are being compared with the international best practices,� he said. referring to the helicopter mishap last year which killed congress leader madhavrao scindia, hussain said “bad weather conditions were to blame for the accident.� stating that safety aspects of small planes and helicopters have been questioned because of frequent mishaps, the minister said small airline and helicopter service operators have also been asked to give their comments on the matter. “no decision would be taken in haste... technical experts have been asked to give their comments. we will take a holistic approach in deciding the matter,� he added.