3 in 10 airline fliers surveyed say that they have often found airlines cutting corners on safety protocols in the last 3 years

December 2, 2024, New Delhi: On Nov 29th the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) fined Indigo for violation aviation security protocols. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a fine of INR 30 lakhs in October on Akasa Air for multiple regulatory violations. The penalty followed a spot inspection in May 2024 which revealed breaches related to pilot training and operational procedures. In January this year, it imposed INR 1.1 crore fine on Air India for violating safety rules on flights on certain long-range routes that were “critical” in terms of terrain. The fine was imposed after the DGCA found merit in a complaint filed by a pilot in October 2023 accusing the Tata Group-run airline of carrying insufficient emergency oxygen on its B777 aircraft operating on India-US routes. Air India was earlier in January directed to pay INR 30 lakh fine for not rostering sufficient pilots, who are trained to land on low visibility (CAT-III landings), during the fog season. In March this year, Air India was fined INR 80 lakh for violating regulations pertaining to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and fatigue management system (FMS) of flight crew. It would be safe to say AIR India has been fined several times in the last one and a half years for various safety lapses. In fact, several safety issues were raised in January this year with the country’s aviation safety and security regulators imposing fines totaling INR 3 crore in a crackdown on airlines and airports after multiple violations. The airlines were IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India, and in addition, Mumbai airport.

The Annual Safety Review-2023, released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in September, indicated that air travel has significantly improved compared to the last two years. While the last decade saw 100 accidents, including 10 in 2023, the ongoing year (2024) has only had two incidents being reported so far. The number of aircraft proximity (a situation when two planes come too close mid-air and pose a risk of collision) incidents reduced by 25% in 2023, compared to the previous two years. The regulator also mentioned that the number of ground proximity warning system (GPWS) alerts, an aircraft safety feature that informs pilots when the plane is at risk of crashing into the ground, have also been reduced by 92% during the same period.

In July, the DGCA published a new set of rules, also known as Civil Aviation Requirement, prescribing the framework for safe operations by service providers after a consultation process with various stakeholders. Despite the improvement in air safety, fliers still face situations where they are concerned about the safety of the aircraft and thus the fliers’ safety. Taking note of the concerns voiced by many including airline staff and the regulator, LocalCircles has conducted a survey to find out what fliers feel about airlines safety protocols. The survey received over 14,000 responses from airline fliers located in 301 districts of India. 62% respondents were men while 38% respondents were women. 44% respondents were from tier 1, 29% from tier 2 and 27% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

3 in 10 airline fliers surveyed say that they have often found airlines cutting corners on safety protocols in the last 3 years

The survey asked fliers, “In your or your family’s experience of flying on domestic airlines in the last 3 years, how did you/ they find the adherence of airlines to flight safety protocols?” The question received 14,818 responses with 18% stating that it was “always perfect”; 43% stated that it was “mostly fine but there have been some exceptions”; 18% stated that “mostly they tend to cut corners but sometimes they are fine”; 12% stated that “they are generally cutting corners” and 9% of respondents did not give a clear reply. To sum up, 3 in 10 airline fliers surveyed say that they have often found airlines cutting corners on safety protocols in the last 3 years.

In summary, the survey indicates that fliers are aware and worried about safety while flying. In fact, 3 in 10 airline fliers surveyed say that they have often found airlines cutting corners on safety protocols in the last 3 years. It must be noted that this is significant as passengers do not have visibility to any violations that are not customer facing and happening at the back end. If those are added, the numbers will look worse. While airlines cite growth in the industry and inability of infrastructure and resources to keep up with it as the reason behind some of the issues perceived by the consumers, the reality is the airlines need to do better and the DGCA and Ministry of Civil Aviation needs to hold them more accountable than they are being held today.

Survey Demographics

The survey received over 14,000 responses from airline fliers located in 301 districts of India. 62% respondents were men while 38% respondents were women. 44% respondents were from tier 1, 29% from tier 2 and 27% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform, and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey.