DGCA warns airlines against compromise on safety issues

New Delhi, Feb 15 (UNI) As air passenger traffic shows unprecedented growth in recent years, the country's aviation regulator today warned airlines against compromising on safety norms.

''Penal action will be taken if airline operators violate safety norms,'' said director general of civil aviation Kanu Gohain.

''Safety is the most important aspect for air transportation and sustained growth,'' he said while speaking during a symposium on recent developments in flight safety.

A total 150,000 passengers travel daily by air on an average by commercial airlines which operate nearly 1,150 flights.

But poor communication between pilots and air traffic controllers have worried regulators around the globe. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set March 5, 2008 as a deadline to get their proficiency in English language Mr Gohain said about 560 foreign pilots fly planes in Indian skies. In the past one year, 20 pilots who had approached the DGCA for validation of their licences were rejected. They were mainly from east European countries, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Indonesia.

ICAO's rating scale for operational level involves pronounciation, grammatical structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and interactions.

In India, the level of compliance of 10,000 ICAO rules pertaining to safety is 99.3 per cent which is among the highest in the world.

Besides, India is one of the first few countries which have agreed to make public the safety related information.

The country is upgrading air transportation management systems.

Facilities for communication, navigation and surveillance are also being modernised for speedy aircraft movements.

UNI