New Delhi: After Goa and Kabul, a section
of Air India pilots on Monday decided not to operate flights to
Kathmandu "in the interest of flight safety" as the airline
has not given them familiarisation training after revision of
approach and go around procedures there.
Alleging that no familiarisation training for approach
and go around procedures, which have been revised for
Kathmandu airport, pilot`s union -- Indian Commercial Pilots
Association (ICPA) has asked its members not undertake flights
to Nepal`s capital.
From March 4, the approach and go around procedures
for Runway 02 of Tribhuvan International Airport have been
revised by the Nepal`s Civil Aviation regulator.
As per the company training manual, pilots have to
undergo familiarisation training for Standard Terminal Arrival
Route (STAR), Standard Instrument Departures (SIDS) and VORDME
runway 02 approach including normal, abnormal and single
engine procedures on Airbus-320 or Airbus-330 simulator.
"Since VORDME runway 02 approach and go around
procedures for Kathmandu have been revised, a resolution has
been passed by the Central Executive Committee of ICPA in the
interest of flight safety that all members are directed not to
undertake any flights to Kathmandu till such time the training
for the same is provided by the company," the ICPA said in a
letter.
"We would not take any flight, putting flight safety
at stake. The management has been forcing us to fly to these
places without proper training, against the flight safety
norms," ICPA General Secretary Captain Rishabh Kapur said.
PTI
