Indian Aviation News
Indian police makes arrests in connection with fake flying licences
by Bipin Shah Self Employed
Bipin Shah 
Self Employed
New Delhi - Indian police have arrested four people, including a pilot and an aviation official, in connection with a fake flying license scam, news reports said Saturday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been helping police probe a racket in which pilots are suspected of obtaining commercial licences by submitting fake records and documents.
The DGCA has grounded 14 pilots employed by various Indian airlines over the past week and a total of 10 people have been arrested, PTI news agency reported, citing Delhi Police.
A person is eligible to fly commercial aircraft in India only after completing 200 hours of flying during training after which he or she is given a commercial pilot's licence.
The 14 pilots who have been grounded had allegedly not flown the required hours and obtained fake certificates from a flying school based in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.
The DGCA is currently inspecting 4,000 commercial pilot's licences issued over the past year.
'There are about 40 flying schools. Now there is an audit of these schools. Blanket order has been given to go ahead into the complaints. There is no leniency for anybody,' federal Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi was quoted as saying.
'This is a big fraud ... playing with human lives,' Ravi said adding that laws would be strictly enforced and steps taken to address the issue.
India's aviation sector has seen rapid growth over the past decade leading to increased demand for pilots and a host of problems for the DGCA in relation to irregularities concerning licences and mushrooming flying schools.
In a statement in parliament earlier this month, Ravi said 57 pilots were found to be drunk during random pre-flight tests in India from January 2009 to November 2010. At least 11 lost their jobs.
Mar 26th 2011 10:23
Self EmployedNew Delhi - Indian police have arrested four people, including a pilot and an aviation official, in connection with a fake flying license scam, news reports said Saturday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been helping police probe a racket in which pilots are suspected of obtaining commercial licences by submitting fake records and documents.
The DGCA has grounded 14 pilots employed by various Indian airlines over the past week and a total of 10 people have been arrested, PTI news agency reported, citing Delhi Police.
A person is eligible to fly commercial aircraft in India only after completing 200 hours of flying during training after which he or she is given a commercial pilot's licence.
The 14 pilots who have been grounded had allegedly not flown the required hours and obtained fake certificates from a flying school based in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.
The DGCA is currently inspecting 4,000 commercial pilot's licences issued over the past year.
'There are about 40 flying schools. Now there is an audit of these schools. Blanket order has been given to go ahead into the complaints. There is no leniency for anybody,' federal Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi was quoted as saying.
'This is a big fraud ... playing with human lives,' Ravi said adding that laws would be strictly enforced and steps taken to address the issue.
India's aviation sector has seen rapid growth over the past decade leading to increased demand for pilots and a host of problems for the DGCA in relation to irregularities concerning licences and mushrooming flying schools.
In a statement in parliament earlier this month, Ravi said 57 pilots were found to be drunk during random pre-flight tests in India from January 2009 to November 2010. At least 11 lost their jobs.
Mar 26th 2011 10:23
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