Spicejet's inflight Holi celebrations on its Goa-Bangalore flight on March 17 invited a show-cause notice from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday, seeking to know why the low-cost airline's flying licence should not be cancelled.
The DGCA's contention that the 2.5-minute dance performance by the cabin crew could have disturbed the aircraft's centre of gravity has drawn amused responses from the aviation industry.
"As far as disturbance to the centre of gravity is concerned, readings from the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) are enough to ascertain the truth," aviation expert Vipul Saxena said.
"The dance hardly lasted a few minutes and the aircraft was cruising at a comfortable altitude on autopilot. Trolleys traversing the aisle weigh more than a crew member. Does the trolley have any effect on the centre of gravity?" an airline official said.
SpiceJet said it will approach the aircraft's manufacturer, Boeing, for help in providing a scientific explanation to DGCA. Airline crew said while such celebrations may be new to India, airlines surprise passengers with similar performances in the US, Europe, and elsewhere in Asia. "Airlines such as Southwest (US), Virgin in Europe, and Air Asia do so, videos of which are easily available online," a pilot said.
The airline has already derostered both the commander and first officer of the flight. DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar said Spicejet had been given 15 days respond to the show-cause notice. A airline spokesperson told Mirror, "Extra cabin crew as well as crew managers were on the flights to ensure the front and rear galleys were manned for those 2.5 minutes, and to ensure all planned activities were well-supervised."
Sources in the DGCA informed that the regulator was divided over the show-cause notice to SpiceJet, as some senior officers are against such celebrations. Saxena added that the action contemplated by DGCA seemed a little too harsh. "However, this suituation needs to be taken as a lesson in formulating new guidelines, considering the need for inflight decorum and the comfort of passengers," he said.
The DGCA's contention that the 2.5-minute dance performance by the cabin crew could have disturbed the aircraft's centre of gravity has drawn amused responses from the aviation industry.
"As far as disturbance to the centre of gravity is concerned, readings from the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) are enough to ascertain the truth," aviation expert Vipul Saxena said.
"The dance hardly lasted a few minutes and the aircraft was cruising at a comfortable altitude on autopilot. Trolleys traversing the aisle weigh more than a crew member. Does the trolley have any effect on the centre of gravity?" an airline official said.
SpiceJet said it will approach the aircraft's manufacturer, Boeing, for help in providing a scientific explanation to DGCA. Airline crew said while such celebrations may be new to India, airlines surprise passengers with similar performances in the US, Europe, and elsewhere in Asia. "Airlines such as Southwest (US), Virgin in Europe, and Air Asia do so, videos of which are easily available online," a pilot said.
The airline has already derostered both the commander and first officer of the flight. DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar said Spicejet had been given 15 days respond to the show-cause notice. A airline spokesperson told Mirror, "Extra cabin crew as well as crew managers were on the flights to ensure the front and rear galleys were manned for those 2.5 minutes, and to ensure all planned activities were well-supervised."
Sources in the DGCA informed that the regulator was divided over the show-cause notice to SpiceJet, as some senior officers are against such celebrations. Saxena added that the action contemplated by DGCA seemed a little too harsh. "However, this suituation needs to be taken as a lesson in formulating new guidelines, considering the need for inflight decorum and the comfort of passengers," he said.
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