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BBC News
25-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Edinburgh and Prestwick criticised over airport disabled services
Two of Scotland's busiest airports have been criticised by the aviation regulator for services they provide to disabled Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport were both listed as needing improvement in a new report by the UK Civil Aviation across the UK were graded by the regulator and considered either very good, good or needing three airports in the whole UK were rated as needing improvement, with London Heathrow the other one. Edinburgh Airport - which has more than 15 million passengers a year - "did not meet the standards for the provision of assistance in a timely manner", according to the said the problems were "primarily due to operational issues caused by a change of contractor for its service provider".This happened earlier in 2024/25 but "now appears to be resolved."The report added Scotland's busiest airport was now providing a "very good" standard since the operational issues ended. Glasgow Prestwick Airport, which has more than 2 million passengers a year, was criticised for failing to meet the standards to consult with disabled groups and regulator added Prestwick had now committed to putting in place an access Chadha, group director for consumers and markets at the regulator, said: "It is welcome that most airports scored positively, but there is clearly more to do from those found to be needing improvement. "With demand for these services rising dramatically in recent years, all airports have a huge challenge ahead to ensure they continue to offer the assistance services their passengers deserve." 'Significant improvements' A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said the rating came during "a particularly challenging time for our PRM operation, due to a change of provider, staff shortages, and a surge in demand for the service."He added: "We have increased our investment in the service to more than £6m and have worked closely with our provider to implement new and improved processes and oversight. "These efforts have led to significant improvements, and our goal remains to return to and maintain a good or very good rating."A spokesperson for Glasgow Prestwick said the Ayrshire airport was working to address the issues from the said: "While we are naturally disappointed to have fallen in the ratings after maintaining top tier status for six consecutive reports."We want to reassure passengers that this rating does not reflect operational issues, or the quality of assistance delivered on the ground."The downgrade related to engagement with specific accessibility and disability groups which we recognise is an important part of continuous improvement."
Skift
21-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Indian Regulator Cites Air India for Past Safety Lapses, Removes 3 Officials
While the June 12 crash is a separate issue, wider scrutiny of safety practices may bring more such checks in the coming months. Skift's coverage of the Air India crash is offered free to all readers. India's aviation regulator on Saturday ordered Air India to remove three senior employees from crew scheduling duties, citing previous violations of pilot rest and licensing rules. The action is not directly related to the June 12 crash of AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad, which brought additional scrutiny to Air India's operations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said multiple violations were discovered after Air India switched its internal crew scheduling software last year. 'Repeated and serious violations (were) voluntarily disclosed by M/s Air India concerning flight crew being scheduled and operated despite lapses in licensing, rest, and recency requirements,' the DGCA said. In aviation, "recency" refers to the requirement for pilots to have recently performed takeoffs and landings or simulator sessions to maintain valid licenses. The regulator said the findings point to systemic failures in crew scheduling and internal oversight. Who Was Held Responsible? The DGCA ordered Air India to remove three officials from operational roles and launch disciplinary action against them within 10 days. One was Vice President of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC), the central hub of an airline's day-to-day operations that brings together key departments like crew scheduling, maintenance, and network planning to ensure flights run safely and in line with regulations. In a short statement, Air India said it has followed the regulator's order. 'We acknowledge the regulator's directive and have implemented the order. In the interim, the company's Chief Operations Officer will provide direct oversight to the IOCC,' an Air India spokesperson said. No further details were shared by the airline. The DGCA order also warned that, 'Any future violation... will attract strict enforcement action, including but not limited to penalties, license suspension, or withdrawal of operator permissions.' A Show-Cause Notice In a separate but related matter, the DGCA also issued a show-cause notice to the airline. This was for Flight AI133 from Bengaluru to London on May 16 and 17. DGCA said both flights had exceeded the 10-hour limit set for crew flight time, a clear violation of existing safety rules. The DGCA said the airline must explain why action should not be taken for these violations. If Air India fails to reply within seven days, the DGCA could act on the matter without further input. In an update on Saturday, Air India said it has started releasing interim financial support to families affected by the June 12 crash of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad. The airline had announced an interim payment of INR 2.5 million (around $29,000) each to the families of the deceased and to the sole survivor, to help address immediate financial needs. This amount is separate from the INR 10 million (approximately $116,000) support already announced by Tata Sons. The airline said a centralized help desk, set up on June 15, is managing the compensation process. This single-window system is helping families by speeding up paperwork and guiding them through the claim process. 'The interim compensation began being released from 20 June 2025,' Air India said. 'Three families have received payments so far, and the remaining claims are currently being processed.' The help desk is also working with local authorities and insurance representatives to avoid delays and reduce the burden on families during this period.
Malay Mail
14-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Air India crash probe focuses on engine, flaps as India orders urgent safety checks on Boeing 787 fleet
Crash probe focuses on engine, flaps, landing gear issues Regulator orders safety checks on Air India's 787 fleet One black box found, no word on cockpit recorder Modi visits site, meets injured, calls scene saddening AHMEDABAD (India), June 14 — The investigation into the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people is focusing on the engine, flaps and landing gear, a source said yesterday, as the aviation regulator ordered safety checks on the airline's entire Boeing-787 fleet. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport south of London began losing height moments after take-off over a residential area of the western city of Ahmedabad and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below, CCTV footage showed. Only one passenger survived and local media reported that as many as 24 people on the ground were also killed as the plane crashed onto a medical college hostel during the lunch hour. Reuters could not immediately verify the number. It was the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Yesterday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down within moments. The probe is also looking at whether Air India was at fault, including on maintenance issues, the source said. An investigation team inspects the wreckage of Air India flight 171 a day after it crashed in a residential area near the airport, in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. Investigators recovered a black box recorder from the crash site yesterday of a London-bound passenger jet that ploughed into a residential area of India's Ahmedabad city, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground. — AFP pic A possible bird-hit is not among the key areas of focus, the source said, adding that teams of anti-terrorism experts were part of the investigation process. The government is considering whether it should ground the Boeing-787 fleet in the country during the probe, the source said. There was no immediate response to requests for comment on that from Air India, Boeing and the aviation ministry. Air India has more than 30 Dreamliners that include the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 versions. A source in Air India said there had been no communication so far from the government on the possible grounding. Separately, India's aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance actions on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines, including 'one-time check' of the take-off parameters before the departure of every flight from midnight of June 15. The airline has also been instructed to introduce 'flight control inspection' — checks to ensure control systems are working properly — in transit inspection, and to conduct power assurance checks, meant to verify the engine's ability to produce the required power, within two weeks. The wreckage of Air India flight 171, including part of the landing gear, is pictured at the site a day after it crashed in a residential area near the airport, in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. — AFP pic One black box found The aviation ministry said that investigators and rescue workers had recovered the digital flight data recorder — one of the two black boxes on the plane — from the rooftop of the building on which the jet crashed. There was no information on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which is also crucial to the crash probe. Indian conglomerate Tata Group took control of the formerly state-owned Air India in 2022, and merged it with Vistara — a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines — last year. Investigators from India, the UK and the US have arrived to probe the crash and Tata will be fully transparent about the findings, Tata Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said in an internal memo seen by Reuters. Chandrasekaran said Tata wants to understand what happened, adding, 'We don't know right now'. Aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace said it supports the action being taken by India's aviation regulator for enhanced safety inspections of Air India's 787 fleet. 'Safety is our top priority,' a GE Aerospace spokesperson said. 'We are committed to providing all technical support necessary to understand the cause of this accident.' Earlier yesterday, rescue workers had finished combing the crash site and were searching for missing people and bodies in the buildings as well as for aircraft parts that could help explain why the plane crashed soon after taking off. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefed by officials on the progress of rescue operations when he visited the crash site in his home state of Gujarat yesterday. Modi also met some of the injured being treated in hospital. 'The scene of devastation is saddening,' he said in a post on X. Thursday's crash was the first for the Dreamliner since the wide-body jet began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. — Reuters
