Aviation regulator suspends 2 flight training schools after surprise check

Among them is Chimes Aviation Academy which serves cadet pilot program of IndiGo, India's largest airline.

India’s aviation regulator has suspended operations at two flight training schools after it found their facilities in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were unfit.

Chimes Aviation Academy is a partner for the cadet programme of IndiGo, India’s largest airline. In 2021, IndiGo partnered with Chimes to source its junior flying officers (JFOs).

“Operations at the school have been stopped till such time the runway is suitable for flying operations. During inspection, it was observed that it had loose gravel and uneven surface and was unsafe for flying,” said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement.

Sources said that Dhana’s flying strip in Dhana was hardly used in the last two years as the state government failed to maintain it in the coronavirus. “Chimes has decided to do the maintenance work on the air strip itself as the process by the state government will take a lot of time. The facility will be ready for flying in three weeks,” said an executive of the flying school.

DGCA auditors found that three aircraft of SVKM NMIMS Academy of Aviation in Shirpur, Maharashtra, had a dysfunctional fuel gauge indicator. “The flying operations at this school have been stopped for three weeks. It will be allowed to operate only when things are in order,” DGCA said.

The regulator is making surprise checks on flying training schools after multiple incidents that in some cases have killed students and trainers.

The DGCA, this year, has suspended its approval for one flying training school, issued warning letters to two accountable managers and suspended seven chief flight instructors for three months to one year. An assistant flying instructor and a student were suspended for three months.

DGCA’s audit beginning March has inspected 30 of India’s 32 flying schools.

The audit found non-compliance with requirements on conducting breath analyser tests. “False logging was observed. In a few cases dual flight has been logged as solo flight and in other cases aircraft taxi time was calculated towards the flying time of the student pilot,” the DGCA said.

Students are not trained properly on emergencies before being released for solo or cross-country flights. Trainers are changed frequently: a practice that affects the learning of students. It also found that facilities at the airfield/training organization are also not being maintained as per requirements.