Strict flight and duty time regulations set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) forced Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to wait for over an hour at Jalgaon airport on Friday night, after the pilot reportedly refused to fly, citing the rulebook.
Shinde was on a tour of the North Maharashtra district to participate in ‘Palkhi Yatra’ at Sant Muktainagar on Friday afternoon. According to sources, he arrived late at Jalgaon by two and a half hours. Although reports said the flight was delayed due to technical reasons, sources said his convoy reached late at the Mumbai airport.
After he arrived at Jalgaon around 3.45pm, Shinde travelled to Muktainagar by road. Ministers Girish Mahajan and Gulabrao Patil accompanied him during the tour.
Shinde, the ministers and officials accompanying them returned to the Jalgaon airport at 9.15pm. However, the officers accompanying Shinde did not inform the pilot or the aviation company about the possible delay, informed sources said. Accordingly, the pilot refused to take off, citing DGCA rules that pertain to duty hours. Besides, clearance for a take-off was necessary as the time approved by the DGCA had elapsed.
Reports stated the pilot cited ill-health as the reason for his refusal. It is also said that Mahajan and Patil persuaded the pilot for the take-off. Speaking to media persons, Mahajan said, “The pilot had some health issues and the issue of timing, besides some technical difficulties. We spoke to the airline company, and they explained the situation to the pilot. It was a minor issue.”
Speaking to the FPJ, an official who handled the aviation issues related to the state government, said the DGCA regulations were in the interest of passenger safety, and prior approvals were needed for any delay in take-off.
For any delay, the pilot is expected to take a waiver from the company to which the flight belongs and the DGCA, he said. The pilot’s 12-hour duty starts according to the permission availed from the DGCA, and it does not start when the dignitaries arrive at the airport, the official clarified.
Delay turns into boon for kidney patient
While returning to Mumbai, Shinde showed a humanitarian gesture by allowing a kidney patient and her husband to travel along with him. When he reached the Jalgaon airport, he was informed by Mahajan that a woman, Sheetal Patil, was to undergo kidney surgery in Mumbai, but she had missed her Mumbai-bound flight. An ambulance service was kept ready at the Mumbai airport, and the couple thanked Shinde for his gesture.
