Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh has taken a peculiar stand on importing aircraft older than 15 years. In a note, Singh has asked the ministry to examine the feasibility of importing such aircraft for a period of six months on trial basis. A final decision on either continuing or scrapping the policy would be taken depending on the number of applications received during this period and the kind of aircraft imported, sources said.
The minister?s view assumes significance as one reported reason for the removal of the director general of civil aviation EK Bharat Bhushan was his objection to such imports over safety concerns.
However, Singh has denied any such thing.
An aviation ministry official said a letter in this regard has been sent to the DGCA. ?The aircraft’s age does not matter if it is airworthy. The DGCA does airworthiness check for each aircraft before it is allowed to fly. We have checked with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and other international institutions. There is no such problem,? the official said. The final nod to the proposal can only be given once the DGCA approves it. ?The decision has been completely left to the DGCA. They have to take a call now,? the official added. When contacted, the new DGCA Prashant Sukul refused to go into issue, saying ?We will examine the matter when it comes before us.?
However, some DGCA officials said any move to import aircraft older than 15 years would be hazardous from a safety point of view. ?It is not feasible. The rule was formed after a plane crash.?
Safety experts and aircraft manufacturers are ambivalent on the issue, stating a case-by-case decision should be taken in the matter. ?There cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. If a 15-year-old aircraft has the required modifications and design, it is suitable for flying passengers. In fact, more than safety, there’s the issue of economics attached to it. The older the aircraft, the less fuel-efficient it would be. It would add to the cost of airlines,? air-safety expert captain M Ranganathan said.
At present, DGCA norms do not allow import of pressurised aircraft older than 15 years for flying over 10,000 feet. For helicopters, cargo and other smaller planes, the age limit is 20 years.
The DGCA had earlier also raised concerns over India becoming a junkyard for older aircraft.
