Message from DGCA to airlines: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reminded airlines to strictly adhere to the regulations and inform pilots and cabin crew about the importance of preventing unauthorized individuals from entering the cockpit.
The DGCA has issued a warning stating that failure to comply with the regulation regarding unauthorized cockpit entry will be dealt with severely, including the possibility of strict enforcement action.
This action by the DGCA comes after two recent incidents where unauthorized individuals were allowed into the cockpit during scheduled flights.
In an advisory, the DGCA has instructed the heads of operations of all scheduled airlines to “prevent any unauthorised entry in the cockpit through appropriate means.”
Safety norms set by DGCA
According to the DGCA safety norms, unauthorized individuals are not permitted to enter the cockpit, and any such entry is a violation of the norms.
“Instances of unauthorized entry into the aircraft cockpit have been reported to the DGCA in the recent past, wherein persons without authority or purpose were granted entry into the cockpit,” stated the regulator in its advisory.
“Such unauthorized presence in the cockpit has the potential to distract the attention of cockpit crew from their sensitive functions and can lead to errors that may jeopardize the safety of the aircraft operations,” added the DGCA.
Recent incidents of unauthorized cockpit entries
In one incident on June 3, the Pilot-in-Command of an Air India flight on the Chandigarh-Leh route allowed an unauthorized person to enter the cockpit during departure, and this person remained in the cockpit throughout the flight.
In a similar incident on February 27, a pilot of Air India, owned by the Tata Group, allowed a female friend to enter the cockpit during a Delhi-Dubai flight.
The DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on Air India for not effectively addressing the ‘safety-sensitive issue’ related to the Delhi-Dubai flight incident.
The license of the pilot who operated the flight was suspended for three months, while the co-pilot received a warning.
However, in the other incident (Chandigarh-Leh flight), the safety regulator suspended the flying license of the Pilot-in-Command for one year and the First Officer for one month.
The individuals authorized for cockpit entry and to occupy the jump seat are specified in the Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) 17 of 2019, as mentioned in the DGCA advisory on Friday.
“All heads of operations are advised to educate their pilots and cabin crew members to strictly follow the AIC and prevent any unauthorized entry into the cockpit using appropriate measures,” said the DGCA.
(With PTI inputs)
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