DGCA suspends 8 pilots, warns 57 for flying with improper licences

In yet another instance of careless air safety enforcement in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has found that 320 pilots of national carrier Air India and private airlines SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Airways have flown with expired licences.

The civil aviation regulator has suspended eight pilots and issued warnings to 57 others over the issue.

The DGCA said the erring pilots operated with expired pilot proficiency check (PPC) - a mandatory biannual test for pilots to revalidate their licences.

Out of the 320 pilots, 255 were flying on expired licences for less than a month, 57 for 30-60 days, six for 60-90 days, and two for more than 90 days.

Jet topped the list with 130 pilots, followed by AI (101), Air India Charters Ltd (70), SpiceJet (10) and IndiGo (9).

''Those who have been suspended had been flying with expired PPC for over 60 days while those who have been issued warnings had been flying with expired PPC for over a month,'' said a DGCA official.

Letters have also been sent to all Indian airline chiefs by DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar, saying such lapses should not occur again.

In September, an audit of Jet Airways' training facilities had led the DGCA to the discovery that 130 pilots were functioning on expired licences. The regulator had ordered the removal of the airline's chief of training.

The airlines denied any wrongdoing. ''The pilots are not suspended.  Since their licences weren't renewed, they are not being utilised for flying duties. No pilot has flown with an expired licence,'' said an AI spokesperson.

A spokesperson of SpiceJet denied receiving any notice from the DGCA.''The issue is a technical one related to a change in regulations,'' the spokesperson said.