Coming down heavily on aviation safety violations, DGCA today grounded a business jet owned by Reliance Industries for carrying expired safety equipment on board and suspended its pilot for flying without a licence.

The aviation regulator, which carried out surprise inspection at Delhi's IGI Airport this afternoon, also searched Jindal Steel and Power Limited's Global Express BD 700 aircraft and found several major lapses, official sources said.

While action against Jindal's company would be decided on Monday, the Reliance aircraft was grounded immediately, just before it was slated to take off from here, they said.
The action comes at a time when private planes and helicopters are being heavily used as charters to fly political leaders across the country on poll campaign.

The sources said that a 14-seater Falcon 900EX, with call-sign VT-ISH and registered in the name of Reliance Commercial Dealers Limited, was grounded after it was found that most safety equipment on board, including a fire extinguisher and personal breathing equipment, were beyond expiry dates.

The cabin compartment containing escape rope was found to be jammed, they said.

The commander of the aircraft was also not carrying his licence when he was asked to show one, they said, adding that the plane was grounded. The co-pilot too was not in possession of certain documents which are to be mandatorily carried.

Taking serious note of the violations, DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar directed that the aircraft would remain grounded till the deficiencies were removed and all equipment replaced with new ones, the sources said.