New Delhi, (Samajweekly) AirAsia India has fired Captain Gaurav Taneja, who is said to have acted as a whistleblower against alleged safety malpractices of the airline, sources said on Monday.
However, the action, according to sources, happened on disciplinary grounds, whereby, the airline followed due procedure.
The pilot was sacked on June 26, days after he was suspended for publicly alleging safety violations at the airline.
Taneja, through a Youtube video on June 14, said that he has been suspended by the airline for standing up for “safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers”.
The alleged violation is regarding a landing technique of the use of ‘Flap 3’ mode during landing.
On June 15, the aviation regulator DGCA tweeted that it has taken note of allegations against a “particular airline”.
“DGCA has taken note of the concerns raised by some stakeholders against a particular Airline and its approach to safety. DGCA has already started an investigation into the issues flagged and shall take appropriate action based on the outcome of the said investigation,” it had said.
Consequently, the DGCA had decided to issue a showcause notice to a senior executive of the airline after the alleged violation of safety norms came to light.
A DGCA official said that the showcause notice has been served post the pilot’s allegations.
“AirAsia India confirms receipt of the notice and we are assisting the regulator in its fact finding process. We will fully cooperate with the regulator,” said an AirAsia India spokesperson on Sunday.
