"It's like gunshots": Passenger rights in
focus as Airbus A320neo engine turbulence jolts industry
Airlines are under
pressure to disclose A320neo aircraft before a passenger pays up. Tarun Shukla 22 Mar 2018
Escalating
glitches in several Airbus A320neo planes have brought passenger rights back
into focus in a sector that makes flyers antsy despite decades of technological
progress.
Though there's little research available on the subject, about 25% of adults suffer from anxiety when taking a flight, about 10% avoid flying due to the intensity of their fear, and nearly 20% depend on alcohol or anxiolytics to fly, according to a report by the US-based National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Everyday reports of inflight engine shutdowns and emergency landings add to the anxiety, raising a fundamental question: Should flyers have greater choice, especially when there are red flags around their safety?
"Whether you are selling a product or a service, you are promising me something, and if you cannot deliver on the [promised] quality you must be liable," says corporate lawyer Priya Iyengar. "We may not have such a regulation under the consumer protection law, but [recent developments] should be a turning point."
At the airports, flyers can differentiate an Airbus A320neo from an older Airbus A320 (most of the IndiGo and GoAir fleet) by its size: Neo planes have bigger engines. However, by then it's too late:Flyers cannot seek refund if they reach the airport anddecide they don't want to fly aboard a Neo.
"It's like gunshots"
Typically, when an in-flight engine shutdown takes place (which can also be due to a bird hit), the engine and (in most cases) the whole plane vibrate, aggravating passengers.
"It's like gunshots," recalls a pilot who flies a Neo but asked not to be named as he is not authorised to speak publicly.
Stressed pilots have to inform passengers that there is a technical issue and they will land at the nearest suitable airport.
There is no uniform system to alert passengers in advance about the aircraft type. Some airlines identify the aircraft under 'flight details' while a passenger is booking a ticket. For example, IndiGo identifies a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Airbus A320 and a regional flight on ATR. However, it does not classify A320neos.
"They should do it in public interest, it will save them from a lot of criticism. It will say, 'see you trust me, or you don't,'" says former Director General of Civil Aviation Kanu Gohain. "But they won't do it because sales would go down. The DGCA should issue this directive," he adds.
A passenger association too favours the view.
"It's a very complicated issue from a passenger's point of view. He doesn't know the difference between Neo (new engine option) and Ceo (older A320 plane short for current engine option). He doesn't know what flight he is taking. The regulator must insist that the airlines - not only IndiGo andGoAir but everyone - to publish [aircraft information] on the tickets in bold," Sudhakar Reddy, Chennai-based founder of Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) tells ET Online.
Many A320neos still in the air
IndiGo and GoAir declined comment on whether they intend to identify Airbus A320neo flights during bookings or if the engine faults have impacted bookings.
On March 20,IndiGo issued a statement that it was "mindful of the inconvenience that some of our customers have had due to the cancellation of some of our flights owing to our compliance with DGCA's directive concerning a few of our aircraft," and was trying to minimise the disruption.Safety was a top priority for the airline, it added.
IndiGo is the biggest user of the Airbus A320neo planes in India with Pratt & Whitney engines, followed by GoAir. IndiGo controls nearly 40% of the domestic market while GoAirholds about 10%.
While aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally grounded over a dozen IndiGo and GoAir planes, there are still many A320neos flying with the same airlines.
"This is an alarming situation. In my career we have not had such an issue which has gone this far," former director general Gohain says. "Aviation is a risky affair. You provide for safety by best managing risk. Now if I know that the engine is prone to problems, then I should have been careful. That is the whole issue."
Though there's little research available on the subject, about 25% of adults suffer from anxiety when taking a flight, about 10% avoid flying due to the intensity of their fear, and nearly 20% depend on alcohol or anxiolytics to fly, according to a report by the US-based National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Everyday reports of inflight engine shutdowns and emergency landings add to the anxiety, raising a fundamental question: Should flyers have greater choice, especially when there are red flags around their safety?
"Whether you are selling a product or a service, you are promising me something, and if you cannot deliver on the [promised] quality you must be liable," says corporate lawyer Priya Iyengar. "We may not have such a regulation under the consumer protection law, but [recent developments] should be a turning point."
At the airports, flyers can differentiate an Airbus A320neo from an older Airbus A320 (most of the IndiGo and GoAir fleet) by its size: Neo planes have bigger engines. However, by then it's too late:Flyers cannot seek refund if they reach the airport anddecide they don't want to fly aboard a Neo.
"It's like gunshots"
Typically, when an in-flight engine shutdown takes place (which can also be due to a bird hit), the engine and (in most cases) the whole plane vibrate, aggravating passengers.
"It's like gunshots," recalls a pilot who flies a Neo but asked not to be named as he is not authorised to speak publicly.
Stressed pilots have to inform passengers that there is a technical issue and they will land at the nearest suitable airport.
There is no uniform system to alert passengers in advance about the aircraft type. Some airlines identify the aircraft under 'flight details' while a passenger is booking a ticket. For example, IndiGo identifies a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Airbus A320 and a regional flight on ATR. However, it does not classify A320neos.
"They should do it in public interest, it will save them from a lot of criticism. It will say, 'see you trust me, or you don't,'" says former Director General of Civil Aviation Kanu Gohain. "But they won't do it because sales would go down. The DGCA should issue this directive," he adds.
A passenger association too favours the view.
"It's a very complicated issue from a passenger's point of view. He doesn't know the difference between Neo (new engine option) and Ceo (older A320 plane short for current engine option). He doesn't know what flight he is taking. The regulator must insist that the airlines - not only IndiGo andGoAir but everyone - to publish [aircraft information] on the tickets in bold," Sudhakar Reddy, Chennai-based founder of Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) tells ET Online.
Many A320neos still in the air
IndiGo and GoAir declined comment on whether they intend to identify Airbus A320neo flights during bookings or if the engine faults have impacted bookings.
On March 20,IndiGo issued a statement that it was "mindful of the inconvenience that some of our customers have had due to the cancellation of some of our flights owing to our compliance with DGCA's directive concerning a few of our aircraft," and was trying to minimise the disruption.Safety was a top priority for the airline, it added.
IndiGo is the biggest user of the Airbus A320neo planes in India with Pratt & Whitney engines, followed by GoAir. IndiGo controls nearly 40% of the domestic market while GoAirholds about 10%.
While aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally grounded over a dozen IndiGo and GoAir planes, there are still many A320neos flying with the same airlines.
"This is an alarming situation. In my career we have not had such an issue which has gone this far," former director general Gohain says. "Aviation is a risky affair. You provide for safety by best managing risk. Now if I know that the engine is prone to problems, then I should have been careful. That is the whole issue."
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