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HC stays DGCA order grounding GMR crew

The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) order grounding 10 pilots and six cabin crew of GMR Aviation, which was being used by political leaders during election campaigning. Justice Manmohan, however, refused to stay the show-cause notice issued by DGCA to the charter airline for allegedly violating the civil aviation requirement of pre-flight breath analysis of its pilots.

The court also said that the probe against the pilots, cabin crew and the doctor who had conducted their pre-flight medical test will continue and directed the airline and its pilots/crew to cooperate with the investigation. It said the final report of DGCA will come into effect a week after it is passed by the authority.

DGCA, on the basis of a surprise inspection of the offices of GMR Aviation on 14 April, had issued a show-cause notice the very next day asking why the airline’s licence would not be cancelled for violation of air safety norms. DGCA had also suspended the licences and privileges of 10 pilots and six cabin crew of the airline for three months with the final punishment of endorsing the same on their licences.

As per DGCA sources, its inspection team had found that several flights operated by GMR Aviation in the last month, including one that flew Congress’ Rahul Gandhi to Bhubaneshwar, had skipped mandatory tests. 

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