The Indian civil aviation regulator suspended 62 pilots during the past six month for a variety of safety violations.
The Director General of Civil Aviation declined to give details on the specifics but sources say about 45% were for failed alcohol breathalyser tests, according to the Hindustan Times, which gained access to the data under a right to information request.
"The details of airlines cannot be provided as the information is exempt from disclosure. If we start disclosing airlines’ names, they will start hiding violations," the DGCA said.
It said a further 30% were for runway violations.
The total number of suspensions was up 30% compared to a year ago.
"In the era of the Right to Information Act, there should be no opaqueness. If an airline has defaulted, the regulatory body should make it public," former Air India executive Jitender Bhargava said.
Bhargava believes the increase in suspensions is tied to stricter safety protocols after the US Federal Aviation Administration’s move to downgrade India’s safety rating in 2014.
After the downgrade, the DGCA is doing its work more earnestly," he said.
That seems to be confirmed by the regulator after a source told the HT: "In 2012, we acted against 109 pilots. The figure dipped to 89 in 2013 but rose to 92 and 93 in 2014 and 2015, respectively. It looks significantly high until now in 2016. It’s because we are seeking out violations more minutely."
