Lok Sabha Question No. 51 (STARRED), answered on 2024-11-28
Subject: Technical Faults in Flight Operations
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Durai Vaiko

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION Lok Sabha

STARRED QUESTION NO. : 51

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  28th November 2024 )

## TECHNICAL FAULTS IN FLIGHT OPERATIONS

51.    SHRI DURAI VAIKO Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  number  of  instances  when  the  Indian  flights  have  faced technical issues along with the types of technical issues reported/noticed during the last five years, year-wise;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  one  Flight (IX613) took off from Tiruchi Airport and circled the airport for three hours  before  returning  to  the  Tiruchi  Airport  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (c)  the  steps taken by the  Government to reduce technical issues in flights, in the backdrop of the above mentioned event and to prevent flight cancellations and accidents?

## ANSWER

Minister of CIVIL AVIATION      (Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu)

(a) to (c) A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (c) in respect of Lok  Sabha  Starred  Ques.  No.  51  for  reply  on  28.11.2024 regarding  "Technical  Faults  in  Flight  Operations"  by  Shri

Durai Vaiko. ; (a) The details of number of instances that the Indian flights have  faced  technical issues year  wise is  attached  as Annexure-A. (b)  On  11.10.2024  M/s  Air  India  Express  B737-800  aircraft VT-AYB operating flight IX-613 (Trichy-Sharjah) was involved in  Air  Turn  Back  (  ATB  )  as  after  take-off  on  retracting landing  gears,  Hydraulic  System  "A"  fluid  level  dropped  to zero. The crew decided to hold and burn fuel to reduce the landing  weight  to  appropriate  level  for  safe  landing  at Trichy.  Subsequently,  the  aircraft  landed  safely  at  Trichy. After  landing  at  TRZ,  during  walk-around,  Hydraulic  leak observed from Hydraulic system "A" pressure module body which  was  found  to  be  cracked.  Hydraulic  Systems  "A" Engine-Driven  Pump  (EDP)  &  Hydraulic  pressure  module  of system "A" were replaced and necessary tests were carried out and found to be satisfactorily, then aircraft was released for further flight.

- (c  )  DGCA  has  laid  down  regulations  under  Civil  Aviation Requirement  (CAR)  which  requires that the aircraft is maintained in accordance with the manufacturer and DGCA guidelines  and  all  technical  issues  reported  on  the  aircraft are  rectified  before  the  aircraft  is  released  for  flight.  ;  ; Further,  CAR  145  lays  down  the  requirements  for  the approval  of  maintenance  organization  which  mandates  the

organization  to  have  required  manpower,  equipment  and literature commensurate to the type and fleet to be maintained.  Under  the  system,  airlines  are  required  to ensure that the aircraft are maintained in a continuous state of  airworthiness  and  all  technical  issues  are  rectified.;  ; DGCA has a laid down mechanism of conducting surveillance,  spot  checks,  night  surveillance  etc.  of  the airlines/ organizations and personnel to ensure all regulatory requirements are complied with to ensure safety of passenger  and  aircraft  and  the  observations/  findings  are provided  to  the  airline  for  taking  corrective  action.;  ;  The action  taken  to  correct  the  observation  are  reviewed  to enforce corrective and preventive action. In case of violations,  DGCA  takes  enforcement  action  in  accordance with  laid  down  procedures  which  may  consist  of  warning, suspension,  cancellation  including  imposition  of  financial penalty to the personnel involved/ airline.

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## Annexure-A

| S/N                       | AIRLINES                                     | 2020                    | 2021                    | 2022                    | 2023                 | 2024 (till date)    |
|---------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
| S/N                       | AIRLINES                                     | No. of technical faults | No. of technical faults | No. of technical faults | No. technical faults | of technical faults |
| 1                         | M/s Alliance Air Aviation Ltd (Alliance Air) | 1                       | 4                       | 3                       | 6                    | 5                   |
| 2                         | M/s Interglobe Aviation Ltd (Indigo)         | 297                     | 286                     | 472                     | 115                  | 118                 |
| 3                         | M/s Spicejet Ltd                             | 147                     | 170                     | 143                     | 150                  | 23                  |
| 4                         | M/s Air India Ltd                            | 54                      | 71                      | 64                      | 62                   | 66                  |
| 5                         | M/s Vistara                                  | 11                      | 7                       | 3                       | 14                   | 8                   |
| 6                         | M/s AirIndia Express Ltd                     | -                       | -                       | 23                      | 23                   | 26                  |
| 7                         | M/s Air Asia Ltd                             | 11                      | 10                      | 8                       | 16                   | 18                  |
| 8                         | M/s Big Charter Pvt Ltd (Fly Big)            | -                       | 1                       | 5                       | 3                    | 3                   |
| 9                         | M/s Akasa Air                                | -                       | -                       | 1                       | -                    | 5                   |
| 10 M/s Blue Dart          | Aviation Ltd                                 | 4                       | 1                       | 1                       | 1                    | 1                   |
| Total technical faults    | Total technical faults                       | 525                     | 550                     | 723                     | 390                  | 273                 |
| Total Flights in the Year | 549214                                       |                         | 733881                  | 997041                  | 1194777              | 1069680             |

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