MUMBAI: An AirAsia India commander on Monday alleged that he was suspended by the airline for raising his voice against practices that endanger the safety of the aircraft and passengers. The allegation came in a video posted on social media.
Captain Taneja, a former IIT-Kharagpur graduate, who joined AirAsia India in May 2019, said pilots who took sick leave had to forgo the weekly leave that followed. “Pilots who have prior plans, like attending a wedding on the weekly day off, need to report for duty even when they are ill and unfit to fly,’’ he said.
Another issue was ‘flap 3’ landings, which saves about 8kg of fuel every time the aircraft lands. AirAsiaIndia pilots have to achieve a target of 98% ‘flap 3’ landings, he alleged. But on short runways, like Imphal, or during poor weather conditions, a ‘flap 3’ landing is unsafe and a full one should be done, said the pilot, who was suspended pending charges of indiscipline. The tweet had 20,000 likes by evening.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it had started an investigation and would take action based on its outcome.
