Mumbai, June 16
Airline executives and passengers alike are demanding that the government set up an independent air safety regulator to oversee the functioning of airlines, airports and even the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The clamour for such a body is reaching a crescendo as pilots and maintenance engineers cutting across organisations speak of pressure from cost-conscious managers to cut corners as airlines struggle to maintain profitability. According to pilots and engineers, the present system where they enter equipment parameters in specified logs has been completely misused.

“Pilots are under pressure not to report malfunctioning equipment so that flights are not held up,” a pilot of a leading airline told this reporter, pleading anonymity.

Pilots say all airlines are guilty of putting pressure on them to flout safety measures to some extent. “Airlines do not like pilots making hard landings as passengers complain about it,” a pilot said in reference to the Mangalore air crash last month. The pilot of the ill-fated aircraft went far beyond the landing point to ensure a smooth touchdown because of which it may have crashed into a valley below, he added.

Aircraft maintenance engineers also speak of managements cutting costs in providing spare parts on time or of the desired quality. There are also murmurs of managers involved in procuring spare parts being part of a racket where quality is compromised in return of illegal gratification.

Representatives of engineers of airlines say the number of technical glitches is on the rise as airlines strive to reduce the time aircraft spends on the ground. “A flight is cancelled or diverted only when something major happens. Minor defects go unreported,” an engineer said.

According to experts, there is always a danger that small compromises on safety could result in a major mishap down the line.