Tata-owned AIX Connect have taken corrective steps after Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found that the airline violated aviation norms with respect to pilot proficiency checks and instrument rating tests. The violations were found when the DGCA conducted an inspection of the airline's main base recently.
According to the Press Trust of India (PTI) report, the airline could face a penalty of INR 10 million or will need to remove the chief training pilot.
“We acknowledge that we received a finding from DGCA as part of our main base inspection in December 2022 and have taken immediate corrective action through additional simulator sessions for our pilots in coordination with DGCA. Our training standards remain uncompromised with no deviation in safety margins, and we remain dedicated to ensuring the highest level of safety and quality in all facets of our operations,” an AIX Connect spokesperson told PTI.
As per the sources, in the beginning when the airline started operations, there was a laid down set of proforma, which would be circulated to each pilot by the chief pilot. So, there was no chance of missing any of these mandatory exercises. However, when the practice of circulating proforma was discontinued abruptly, people started missing out there PPC and IR tests. This was detected by DGCA.