India’s aviation sector sets sights on growth despite bumpy start to 2024
India’s aviation sector faced a number of challenges at the start of 2024, including severe fog-induced flight delays, cancellations, and substantial penalties imposed on airline operators. While some industry participants expressed concern that these were signs of deeper systemic issues, analysts said they should not cloud an otherwise bright long-term outlook for the sector. India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on January 24 fined Air India, a former national carrier now owned by the Tata conglomerate, 10.1m rupees (US$135,000) for safety protocol violations in relation to their long-range and critical-terrain routes. The penalty follows similar action against major carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet last month for various offences, including pilot shortages and security violations. Cold weather and fog in northern India also resulted in flight cancellations and significant delays of hundreds of passenger flights at the beginning of the year. A pilot from a national pilots’ association, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern about the sector’s lack of professionalism, citing systemic issues such as inadequate technological upgrades, constant pilot fatigue, and a limited understanding of safety regulations. “Indian aviation is a ticking time bomb. We’re just inches from a major aviation disaster, given how pilots are treated and how passenger planes are operated,” said the senior pilot, who has been operating commercial flights for over 15 years. “One doesn’t need to wait for a major incident for a wake-up call. The recent episodes highlight serious systemic problems,” he said.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-02-02/general/india2019s-aviation-sector-sets-sights-on-growth-despite-bumpy-start-to-2024
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India’s aviation sector sets sights on growth despite bumpy start to 2024
India’s aviation sector faced a number of challenges at the start of 2024, including severe fog-induced flight delays, cancellations, and substantial penalties imposed on airline operators. While some industry participants expressed concern that these were signs of deeper systemic issues, analysts said they should not cloud an otherwise bright long-term outlook for the sector. India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on January 24 fined Air India, a former national carrier now owned by the Tata conglomerate, 10.1m rupees (US$135,000) for safety protocol violations in relation to their long-range and critical-terrain routes. The penalty follows similar action against major carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet last month for various offences, including pilot shortages and security violations. Cold weather and fog in northern India also resulted in flight cancellations and significant delays of hundreds of passenger flights at the beginning of the year. A pilot from a national pilots’ association, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern about the sector’s lack of professionalism, citing systemic issues such as inadequate technological upgrades, constant pilot fatigue, and a limited understanding of safety regulations. “Indian aviation is a ticking time bomb. We’re just inches from a major aviation disaster, given how pilots are treated and how passenger planes are operated,” said the senior pilot, who has been operating commercial flights for over 15 years. “One doesn’t need to wait for a major incident for a wake-up call. The recent episodes highlight serious systemic problems,” he said.<br/>
