The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has banned 90 SpiceJet pilots from operating Boeing Max aircraft until they undergo re-training to their satisfaction. The low-cost airline has 650 pilots trained to fly this particular aircraft. While this temporary ban will not affect the operations of SpiceJet’s 11 MAX, the incident comes into limelight over the protocols adopted to ensure flight safety.
The need to retrain SpiceJet Max pilots came to the fore when the DGCA was inspecting a training facility near Delhi. The simulator in which the pilots were being trained was found to be “inactive” and since around 90 SpiceJet pilots were trained at that facility since March, they have been asked to undergo re-training. Pilots must now ‘return’. ‘Service’ training which includes two days training in the simulator once it is fully functional. Return to service training was recommended following the global grounding of the Max aircraft after two accidents.
Pilot de-rostering raises the question of how seriously domestic airlines take the safety of crew, passengers and the aircraft they operate. The responsibility of choosing a simulator that is fully functional and meets the requirements of the regulator rests entirely with the airline.
When it comes to Max, this training becomes even more important. The controversial Boeing plane was grounded globally in March 2019 after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed more than 300 people. It returned to service globally in 2020 and in India in August 2021, after manufacturers corrected defects in the earlier design.
However, pilot training was one of the major corrective measures before the aircraft was allowed to fly again. At present, SpiceJet is the only Indian operator of Max. Start-up airline Akasa has ordered 72 MAX planes, and is expected to start flying later this year.
Therefore, pilot training on a useless simulator flying the Max cannot be brushed off lightly. Why did the DGCA oversee to come to light of low-satisfaction training standards? Why has the airline not ensured that its pilots get proper training? Airlines and the aviation industry as a whole must ensure that they adhere to stringent rules, regulations and procedures to ensure that their crew are trained to the highest level of safety to fly aircraft.
Safe flight is a collective responsibility. While the manufacturer, Boeing, was responsible for the faulty design of the Max aircraft, ensuring crew training and safety is the responsibility of the airline flying any type of aircraft. To ensure safety, the regulator has made arrangements for investigation. India’s aviation safety record, as it has become the third largest domestic aviation market after the US and China, depends on operators strictly adhering to protocol.