By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government is still awaiting the reply from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry into the report of two pilots of Alliance Air, a subsidiary of National Carrier Air India, for violating basic safety rules, risking lives of hundreds of passengers on board, as per a news report telecast by a national channel.
The report alleged that a pilot also ignored precautions on medical grounds.
Alliance Air operates flights between Shillong and Kolkata, six days a week.
“We have taken up the matter with the DGCA and the Civil Aviation Ministry immediately after the incident came to light. Since matters relating airfield, fall under the purview of the regulator we are still awaiting the reply into the incident,” said H Marwein, Principal Secretary, Transport.
It may be mentioned that Transport Minister AT Mondal had earlier ordered for a thorough enquiry into the incident with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. The move came after a national television news channel allegedly reported that two pilots working for the Alliance Air in Kolkata violated basic safety rules for the last three months putting hundreds of lives at risk.
On asking the Principal Secretary, as to how the incident went unnoticed he replied, “This was stated only in a news report of NDTV and we are not aware of the factual position. Yes, the matter could have turned out to be fatal but until and unless the enquiry is completed and it is prima facie established that there has been violation of basic safety rules by the pilots there is nothing much we can do,” Marwein said.