DGCA files police complaint against 34 airline pilots

MUMBAI: Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) has filed a police complaint against 34 pilots of Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Go Air for allegedly sending offensive messages about its officials on a WhatsApp group.

Protesting a new rule that mandates a pilot to serve a notice period of 12 months after resignation, the pilots allegedly used abusive language in the messages.

A number of the crewmen were questioned by the police but not arrested. Mobile phones of four pilots, who were a part of the WhatsApp group in which the offensive messages against the officials were posted, have been confiscated.

A DGCA spokesperson said the airline managements have given an unconditional apology on behalf of their pilots. ET was unable to access the WhatsApp altercation.

“Jet Airways confirms that a few of its cockpit crew were called to record their statements by local authorities in response to a complaint,” said an airline spokesperson. “The carrier is extending full cooperation to authorities. The matter is under investigation and we are therefore unable to comment further.”

He added that the airline “will take appropriate measures where necessary, as per the company policy and in compliance with local law.”

"No SpiceJet pilot has written any derogatory or obscene message against any DGCA official or made any comments on the draft DGCA CAR. One of our pilots had just forwarded some WhatsApp messages to a few friends and colleagues," said a spokesperson at SpiceJet.

Executives at IndiGo and Go Air didn't reply to queries before the story went to print.

In a separate statement, the pilots, part of a lobbying body called the National Aviator’s Guild, said the proposal to double the notice period “has been widely criticised by a large section of people, including IFALPA (International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations), which is an international organisation representing more than 100,000 pilots from over 100 countries.”

IFALPA president Ron Abel wrote to the DGCA about the ill effects of the civil aviation requirement (CAR) and requested the regulator not to implement it, the statement said. Pilots said CAR was unprecedented globally.

The proposal, which also mandates a six-month notice period for co-pilots, is still in its draft stages.