DGCA's findings due to lack of clarity in rules: Jet Airways

New Delhi, Sep 11: With DGCA cracking down on over 130 pilots of Jet Airways on charges of flouting training norms, the airline today said the aviation regulator's findings were due to "lack of clarity" in its rules.

"Some of the audit findings have resulted due to a lack of clarity in the regulatory interpretation of the processes," the private carrier said in a statement here.

A Jet spokesperson said the its senior management would meet the Director General of Civil Aviaton and his team "to discuss the ambiguity in some of the existing regulation and will work closely with DGCA to close all the findings".

"The airline welcomes the inputs of the regulator and confirms that it will comply with all established norms," the spokesperson said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had on Saturday cracked down on Jet Airways after an audit of its pilots and cabin crew training programme and issued show cause notices to 131 pilots of the airline.

After the audit carried out by a three-member team, DGCA had issued the notices asking the pilots why their licences should not be suspended as they were flying without clearing their Pilot Proficiency Check (PPC) tests which have to be carried out every six months mandatorily.

The tests ascertain the overall knowledge level and proficiency of a pilot. DGCA also charged Jet's training and operations chiefs with "lack of supervision of flight crew training, no review of deficiencies recorded in training assessment forms and permitting release of flight crew for flying duties without corrective training".

The audit was carried out between August 20-22 after one of the airline's planes plunged several thousand feet while flying over Turkish airspace on the Brussels-Mumbai route on August eight.

The Jet spokesperson had said, "We are confident that our training meets all DGCA and international standards and that we will be able to resolve any discrepancies or address any observations."

PTI