New Delhi: A fine of Rs 10 lakh has been imposed by the Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Vistara for allowing a co-pilot to land the aircraft at Indore without the requisite training in a simulator.
According to the DGCA, the pilot, who was the first officer on the flight, landed the flight without first getting the requisite training in a simulator.
“This is a serious violation endangering lives of the passengers onboard. Rs 10 lakh penalty has been levied on the airline for the said lapse,” a DGCA official said, adding that the airline violated take-off and landing clearance.
In a statement later, Vistara said it was a ‘regrettable violation’ and that the airline always puts the safety of passengers and staff ‘as its top priority’.
As per the rule, a first officer has to be first trained to land an aircraft in a simulator before he or she can land a plane with passengers on board. A captain is also trained at a simulator before he or she can allow the first officer to land the aircraft.