Centre orders safety audit of all airlines, airports

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday ordered a safety audit of all scheduled airlines and airports after a cockpit mix-up on a Jet Airways flight left 30 passengers bleeding from their ears and noses.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) swung into action after Prabhu stepped in and began an inquiry into the Jet Airways incident.

The Ministry also said that the crew of the Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur on which the incident was reported was being de-rostered.

“In view of the incidents reported related to safety of the passengers, the Civil Aviation Minister has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive safety audit plan which involves assessment of safety parameters of all scheduled airlines, aerodromes, flying training schools and MROs immediately,” an official statement said.

Prabhu has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to conduct the comprehensive safety audit and submit a report within next 30 days.

“Corrective action should be taken immediately on the deficiencies found out, if any, during the audit,” the minister has ordered.

According to the DGCA, shortly after takeoff from Mumbai, the flight crew forgot to select a switch to maintain cabin pressure and oxygen masks were deployed.

The plane returned to Mumbai, where 30 of its 166 passengers were treated for minor injuries, including headaches and bleeding from the nose or ears, the civil aviation regulator said.

The comprehensive audit comes in the wake of engine trouble experienced by Airbus A320neo aircraft run by Indigo and GoAir, the onboard instrumentation problem faced by Boeing 777-300 aircraft of Air India in New York and the grounding of Jet Airways pilot after a brawl onboard a flight from London to Mumbai in January.