In an exclusive interview with India Today, former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said that Indian skies are as safe as anywhere else in the world and the aviation safety standards are robust.
00:00I'm joined by Praful Patel, former civil aviation minister, someone who was in that position for a decade.
00:06Mr. Patel, your first thoughts and reactions to this terrible tragedy, sir?
00:12Well, it's a very tragic incident and my condolences and actually I'm very sad and distressed
00:20because India's aviation sector, by and large, has a very good track record.
00:26In India, we follow very good safety protocols.
00:30Let me be honest, nobody should doubt India's aviation, you know, safety or ability.
00:37And this aircraft, a 787 is one of the most technologically advanced aircraft, a robust aircraft used by most airlines of the world, major airlines.
00:48Thousands of them are flying every day.
00:50And to have the first crash of a 787 in India is something very disturbing.
00:59It is tragic, it is disturbing.
01:01You say that India has a very good track record.
01:03So does the 787, not so much the 737, but the 787 has a very good safety record so far.
01:10There have been questions though, Mr. Patel over Boeing in the past.
01:13Do you believe that there's all kinds of speculation?
01:19How would you approach now the inquiry?
01:21In the past, there's a sense that some of these inquiries have not yet given us clarity that is desperately needed by the civil aviation sector.
01:31Well, let me be honest that an inquiry can reveal quite a lot.
01:36It's not that it can't reveal.
01:39And in India, we now have the Accident Investigation Bureau, which is independent of the DGC or of the ministry.
01:45And it's a completely separate institution.
01:49And that gives you a very fair assessment of what could have gone wrong and the reasons of the crash.
01:56But for that, we'll have to wait for the black box and other equipment which is on board.
02:00By coming to the point of safety, the 787 has been in service for almost 15-16 years now.
02:11And it is flying in the thousands all across the world by many major airlines.
02:18So there is no real reason to think that the 787 as an aircraft has any real issue.
02:25Because this aircraft, particularly the one it crashed, has also been flying for 11 years.
02:31It flew this morning from Delhi to Ahmedabad.
02:34And it was flying to London under the command of a very experienced 8,500-hour pilot in command.
02:43And my sources in Air India tell me also that the fact is that even though it's an 11-year-old flight aircraft,
02:52that should be no reason to believe that the aircraft could develop a snag.
02:5711-year-old aircraft is nothing.
02:59It is a very normal age of an aircraft.
03:02There is nothing to be alarmed because of 11 years.
03:05In fact, aircraft can fly safely even if they are 30 or 40 or 50-year-old.
03:11It's as good as you maintain them.
03:13So there is no real issue on the aircraft per se.
03:17Besides, this aircraft flew in this morning from Delhi to Ahmedabad.
03:20If there was any snag on the aircraft, obviously it wouldn't have been clear to fly on the next leg from Ahmedabad to London.
03:28And also, remember, Rajdeep, you and me fly every day.
03:32We also know that the pilots and the second-in-command always do pre-flight checks.
03:38You know, there's a big manual which is given.
03:42The pilots, however experienced they may be, they take that list and they do every check and then each other, convince each other that, yes, everything is okay.
03:52All the boxes are ticked.
03:53Then only the plane actually pushes back.
03:56And after pushback also, there are another set of, you know, checklists.
04:00After that, only will the plane actually roll on the runway for take-off.
04:04So are you saying as someone who initiated or was one of the key initiators of Open Skies, our skies are very safe?
04:12Because remember, Mr. Patel, just a couple of weeks ago, an Indigo flight on its way from Delhi to Srinagar, the nose blew off.
04:20Now, there were question marks over there.
04:22There have been always stories every now and then of near misses.
04:26There's even talk in this instance, complete unproven, of a bird hit.
04:31But you're saying broadly, you believe, even by global standards, Indian skies are very safe.
04:37What has happened is completely mysterious, therefore, and unexplained for now.
04:42Two things I'll just highlight.
04:46First, the Indian skies are safe as anywhere else in the world, number one.
04:51Number two, our DGCA and our SOPs for safety are as robust and as good as also the most advanced countries in the world.
05:00So on both counts, and third, even the airlines, an airline like Air India or Indigo or for any matter of that matter, any other airline has its own safety manuals.
05:13Flight trainings for captains, for the maintenance standards, for all other, you know, flying protocols.
05:21So there is no reason to get upset or worried whether India's flying is safe or not.
05:27I would say anybody who has to take a flight today should not even hesitate one second about the safety standards of India or India's airlines.
05:35The second thing…
05:36The worry, of course…
05:37The worry…
05:37Yes, go ahead, please.
05:38Go ahead.
05:38The second thing is what happened here.
05:41Now, you know, there could be various things which people can attribute.
05:46I mean, some people are obviously more knowledgeable technically than me who are pilots themselves who will be able to speak much more authoritatively.
05:56But at this moment, even for them to hazard a guess would be unfair for the simple reason that obviously the pilot was convinced and therefore he took off.
06:05He was on a take-off roll and if he had any problem, he could have avoided take-off.
06:11There is always a band of safety.
06:13Obviously, between that band of safety and his take-off, something went wrong or immediately after take-off, something went wrong.
06:22Because he immediately issued a mayday call.
06:24A mayday is the ultimate call that I am in trouble.
06:26I have nothing else.
06:27I don't know what to do.
06:29So, the point here is about safety.
06:32At this moment, we are prejudging a lot of things.
06:36You just mentioned about an Indigo flight a few days ago going to Srinagar.
06:40That ran into rough weather.
06:44Now, that turbulence can occur on any flight.
06:48Turbulence can occur on any flight.
06:50And unfortunately, that aircraft would have had no problem had it been allowed to divert into Pakistani airspace.
06:59But given the incidence of the last few weeks, months, it has been unfortunate that Pakistan did not allow its airspace to be used.
07:07You see, Mr. Patel, as you said, that was into hostile weather or rough weather.
07:12Here, it was a clear day.
07:14It was afternoon time.
07:16And therefore, you know, obviously, there is concern over what could have gone wrong.
07:20You are absolutely right.
07:21Only the black box will reveal what could have happened and a full inquiry.
07:26But you are giving a reassurance and you are sending out that firm message today.
07:31Indian skies are safe.
07:33Do not panic.
07:34Absolutely.
07:34Absolutely.
07:34Absolutely.
07:34Absolutely.
07:35And I can assure you, anybody should not even hesitate for a second as far as his next flight is concerned.
07:43Please take the flights.
07:45Please do not worry about your safety.
07:47Of course.
07:49And you are saying that DGCA is fully in control?
07:53I think so.
07:54I think so.
07:54That DGCA does not compromise on safety standards?
07:59I don't think that we have to worry about DGCA safety standards.
08:03In fact, to be honest, a lot of airlines and pilots complain that our DGCA is very strict.
08:08Right.
08:08And I think it's good.
08:11And there is nothing we should be, you know, really, you know, getting alarmed about the safety standards.
08:17Okay.
08:17Now, you see, why it's happened, what has happened.
08:21Now, you know, to hazard guesses at this moment would be absolutely unfair.
08:26And unfair even to the captain who was commanding this aircraft because of his experience, his knowledge or his own life was at stake.
08:36Would he do something stupid unless he was sure?
08:39I couldn't agree with you more, Praful Patel.
08:418,000 hours plus of flying, very experienced pilot.
08:45And Air India tells me that he was one of their finer pilots.
08:48I appreciate, Praful Patel, you joining me at this hour of grief and tragedy in Ahmedabad.