M A I N   N E W S

Panel to look into licence procedure
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 15
In the wake of the frightening reality of fake pilots flying aircraft, Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi today said an expert committee would be formed to look into the current system of examination and procedures for obtaining a pilot licence.

The committee will also look into areas such as the introduction of e-technology and an effective system of cross-verification of documents filed by candidates, Ravi told the Rajya Sabha. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been directed to examine all pilots licences issued in the past, Ravi added.

The steps to strengthen the procedures come after the arrest of two pilots, who faked their eligibility certificates, and two more who are on the run, which has made the authorities suspect the presence of an organised racket to provide fake documents to aspiring pilots.

Earlier, the DGCA said it was conducting a thorough check of around 4,000 commercial pilot licences. The scandal came to light when IndiGo pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati (38) was arrested on March 8 for allegedly obtaining the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) using forged documents. The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested Air India pilot JK Verma on the charges of using a forged marksheet to acquire a pilot licence. Verma had been a co-pilot with Air India since 1989.