Hii!! this just in from Times of India about AIR INDIA.

A-I has hit quite an air-pocket.besides ruffling the feathers of the DGCA,its now being accused by a senior boeing instrucor of flouting safety norms "potentially affecting the safety of passengers".he warned that if these voilations are known to european and american aviation authorities,A-I may be barred from landing and overflight rights.


ANTONY KEYTER, a seattle -based boeing pilot,had trained A-i pilots in MUMBAI in JAN/FEB 2005 on the boeing 777 and AI express pilots on the boeing 737.So irked was he with the working of the airlines that on March 7 2006 he filed criminal charges against A-I chairman,V .Thulasidas and 22 boeing officials in the supreme court of the US.

Answering STOI's querirs from seattle,he says from the time he returned from india "there were threats and intimidations (in collusions with Thulasidas) of discharge from boeing so that a saftey report on A-I was not Disseminated to the DGCA. This threat held me back from further action....this weapon prevents other pilots from speaking out". A-I on its part says that it was in no way personally involved with "this individual".beoing officials didnt respond to calls made by STOI. Incidentally, A-I last year signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Boeing for 68 planes.

Keyter says he observed duty times being " habitually violated under the instructions of A-I's operational management." He gives his own schedule. "In a week's cycle beginning, on May 4, 2005, A-I flights commenced on the first daywith a daylight flight, followed the next day by an all-night flight, followed by a day flight, then a day repositioning (passenger) flight, followed by a night traning flight and then a day repositioning flight." Quite a haywire schedule. Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) of A-I crew have been an isue gathering steam lately. The DGCA even questioned A-I's order allowing pilots to operate upto 10 hours during a 24hrs period when the stipulation is eight hours.

"The rules are made with reference to international norms and apply to all safety sensitive positions. A-I apparently thought the laws unreasonable, as they approached DGCA on three occasions to get laws changed, with no success."
He further warns that in the "event of a fatal accident, the crew will be held culpable if found breaching Air Regulations." Keyter says on March 23, 2005, the DGCA, issued a notice to A-I, (No.8/5/2004-L.II {Vol-II}, regarding validation of foreign licences of flight crew of B-777 Boeing instructors for B-737-800.


--> I THINK A-I OFFICALS NEED A SERIOUS LASH AND BE SUSPENDED