Election flying should be done within safety norms. But, will politicians listen?

Aviation regulator DGCA means business. After making life tough for private aircraft belonging to Reliance Industries and the Jindal Group last week, it has come down heavily on choppers and small aircraft used by politicians for election campaigning. In an air safety circular issued this afternoon, DGCA has threatened operators which do not comply with its guidelines of cancelling their flying permit all together. This is the first time any aviation regulator has outlined a series of penalties, the stiffest being cancellation of flying permit, for companies which offer these aircraft to politicians and VVIPs.

In fact, the Air Safety Circular Circular 2 of 2014 supercedes a similar circular issued by the same office two years back, which also prescribed dos and don’ts for election season flying but fell short of explaining penalties. So from the looks of it, the DGCA means business this election season.

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The new circular notes repeated violations by companies which offer choppers and small aircraft during campagining and how these violations have lead to safety issues.

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu died in 2011 in a helicopter crash. Other politicians who died in chopper crashes include Andhra CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Madhavrao Scindia and O P Jindal among others.

Elections means air travel is frequently used for electioneering and other purposes in small aircraft or helicopters of private and non-scheduled operators. Election flying is a highly demanding exercise in terms of skill levels and professionalism. Long flying-hours, a large number of take-offs and landings, weather changes, lack of proper rest, hurriedly prepared helipads, frequent changes in itinerary, time management, highly stressed security arrangement, surcharged crowd, congested airspace, difficult and disturbed areas and lack of adequate communication pose serious risks to air travel during elections.

The DGCA circulra stresses on the usual things like pilot license being valid and proper choice of helipad. But it also makes some significant observations such as avoiding terrorist infested areas for landing such aircraft, flight crew strictly adhering to FDTL (rest periods) requirements and avoiding all unplanned landings.

While the worst punishment for violation is cancellation of flying permit, the DGCA has also listed out lesser penalties: cautioning the license holder, suspending license of the concerned pilot or suspension ofoperations for a specified time period only.

But the moot question remains: Do the so-called VVIPs and politicians even listen to what the crew of their flight is saying in the interests of safety?