Redbird Flight Training Academy Back in Business after Safety Overhaul in October Last Year

The announcement comes nearly four months after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended the operations of Redbird Flight Training Academy following two incidents, highlighting safety issues- Reports ETV Bharat's Saurabh Sharma.

New Delhi: Following two events that raised safety concerns regarding crash landings in October of last year, the Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA) banned flight operations for Redbird Flight Training Academy at all bases nationwide. However, the Academy on Tuesday confirmed that it was back in business and has resumed operation.

“We, at Redbird Flight Training, feel immense pride in announcing a successful completion of the recertification process of our maintenance approval and resumption of our flying training operations,” the company said in a statement.

However, WhatsApp chats accessed by ETV Bharat, state that several students demanding proof of the resumption of operations were neither given a reply to and deleted from the official WhatsApp group of Redbird.

Talking to ETV Bharat, a trainee pilot enrolled at Red Bird on the condition of anonymity said, "When we were notified about the resumption of the operations, we were elated as we waited for four long months for this. However, there was confusion regarding the official letter after several students sought it from the DGCA on the WhatsApp group, only to find the admin removing them from the group."

Another student talking on the condition of anonymity said that it was nothing short of bullying. "All we are asking for is a legitimate piece of proof. The situation is complicated and we hope that things sort out soon," he added. ETV Bharat accessed the letter sent by DGCA to Redbird on February 20, and found that only the 'Baramati' base has been granted the permission for flying.

"Proficiency checks will be conducted of Assistant Flight Instructors and Flight Instructors not holding authorisation privileges by Captain Ayush Agnihotri and Captain Vikram Gupta. They will be subjected to validity of their licenses, recency requirements and standardisation check", the letter from the DGCA mentioned.

The reports of all such proficiency checks shall be submitted to this office at the earliest, the letter stated. Captain Agnihotri and Captain Gupta might train and also conduct skill tests of trainee pilots", it further said.

"The training is to be conducted only on those aircrafts cleared by DAW (WR), DGCA, and in compliance with the directions as stated in the DGCA letter dated February 12, wherein certain conditions were imposed regarding use of aircraft that have utilised Indian MOGAS", it added.

It is worthy to note here that Redbird has bases in Baramati in Pune district, Lilabari in Assam, Gulbarga and Belgaum in Karnataka, Seoni in Madhya Pradesh and Colombo in Sri Lanka.