DGCA warns airlines against unserviceable/broken flight seats
text_fieldsNew Delhi: India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has warned airlines against offering unserviceable seats to passengers on their domestic and international flights, IANS reported.
A Tuesday statement by the civil aviation regulator read, "This is to inform that it has come to notice of the DGCA that some of the scheduled carriers are offering unserviceable seats on their scheduled international/domestic operations."
The Aircraft Rule 1937's Sub Rule (2) of Rule 53 mandates that all materials, including aircraft seats, shall conform to approved design specifications. The statement said that if the installation of any part fails to meet the intended design requirements, it will degrade the requirements of airworthiness.
The statement advised airline companies not to book passengers beyond serviceable seats and keep in line with the approved design specification of the aircraft, which is released for scheduled services.
"Any non-compliance in this regard shall be viewed seriously," the statement warned.
There were reports that the DGCA had conducted an audit of seats and other cabin fittings earlier this year to find many had broken or unserviceable seats.