‘AI pee incident embarrassing, faulty engines most challenging’

NEW DELHI: The Air India urination incident was the most embarrassing period for Indian aviation, DGCA DG Arun Kumar told ANI. The Director General of Civil Aviation counts the Air India urination incident as 'embarrassing' for Indian aviation. The story on Air India has been in the news in recent times, making the country known for its aviation shortcomings.

"Two incidents of Air India were more embarrassing but not dangerous but we have taken action against them also," DGCA chief Arun Kumar told ANI.

"Such incidents are very rarely reported and if this is happening and the matter is reported with us (DGCA), we are taking action against them," he added. Outgoing DGCA chief Arun Kumar remembering his most challenging task in his early days as India's aviation regulator head, said,

"The most difficult task in my tenure were the incidents like failure of jet engines in the air in my early days in DGCA, it was very challenging for me as a chief of aviation regulator to ask airlines to change the engines as soon as possible."

"The engines were of the same company, they were of Airbus family, when all the faulty engines were asked to be changed, Airbus including the airlines gave one-and-a-half year's time but DGCA gave three months time to change it with the condition that if not changed we would ground the aircraft," Arun Kumar told ANI.

Strengthening the paramountcy of passenger safety is the most important part of any aviation industry and the country considers it of utmost significance.

ANI reported in 2019 when DGCA issued instructions to IndiGo and GoAir to ensure that it does not operate any Neo aircraft with two Pratt and Whitney 1100 series engines that have been used for more than 3,000 hours each.

At that time GoAir had 13 such aircraft and Indigo had 16 such aircraft in 2019.