IndiGo pilots under scanner for using expletives on radio during flight

The Indigo pilots were expressing unhappiness over the airline's delay in restoring the pre-Covid salaries and vented ire on 121.5 MHz frequency.

Around seven IndiGo pilots are under investigation after they using expletives on radio while operating aircraft.

The pilots were expressing unhappiness over the airline's delay in restoring the pre-Covid salaries and vented ire on 121.5 MHz frequency.

The 121.5 MHz frequency during radio transmission is used as a “guard” frequency, to be used only in an emergency. It is intended to be used to contact any air traffic control facility within range, and it allows a pilot to have virtually continuous coverage and communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC).

Aviation regulator DGCA is investigating the incident and if proven guilty, the pilots may lose their license.

The incident happened on April 9, four days after IndiGo suspended around six pilots who were planning to organise a strike on Tuesday in protest against the pay cuts that were implemented during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic — in what is the first case of action against an organised labour protest the airline witnessed since inception.

It has been learnt that officers of ATC informed aviation regulator DGCA about the incident. The regulator has taken a strong view about it as discipline during radio transmission is a fundamental part of pilot training.

“As all pilots know, the 121.5 frequency is dedicated to aviation emergencies and distress and rules prohibit false distress and emergency messages and all superfluous communications on this frequency. ATC monitors the 121.5 frequency for aircraft in distress and it is imperative that the sanctity of this is maintained,” said an official aware of the matter.

A spokesperson of the airline didn't comment on the incident.

A few days after the incident, IndiGo flight operations department sent a memo to pilots reminding them to maintain discipline during radio transmission.

”Radio transmission is one of the measurable parameters of professionalism and discipline in an airline and IndiGo prided itself on being near-exemplary in this aspect. Unfortunately in the recent past there have been acts of misuse of radio transmission which have been identified and are being suitably dealt with,”  Rakesh Srivastava, chief pilot, quality assurance and operations safety at IndiGo wrote to pilots warning them to maintain professionalism and discipline during radio transmission.

Misuse of the 121.5 frequency is dealt with seriously in developed aviation markets like the US where first violation can cost the perpetrator as much as $19,246, with ongoing violations fines running to as much as $144,000. Rules of US aviation regulator FAA state that in such cases, the violator’s radio equipment can also be confiscated, and possible criminal charges filed.

Pilots’ salary has become a thorny issue for India’s largest airline as pilots are unhappy with their pre-Covid salary not yet being restored in full.

Despite a partial restoration of salary hike, pilots remain disgruntled as IndiGo is currently operating more than 1,600 flights per day which is higher than what it operated before Covid grounded travel.

However, senior executives of the airline pointed out that the number of flights is not an indicator that companies have regained their financial health. “Even though the number of flights have increased, utilisation of the fleet is still at around 11 hours against 13.5 hours in 2019. 2.5 hours reduction in utilisation of each aircraft in effect means that fleets are still grounded. Simultaneously, oil price is at record high, increasing cost of operations significantly,” said an executive of IndiGo.

The airline has also started a new process called “culture training” for its freshly inducted pilots under which they will spend time with other flight operations departments like rostering, scheduling to get acclimatised with their working.

“We have increased the duration of the induction course by three months in order to impart this culture training. It is imperative that pilots spend time with people who will be handling their rostering to understand each other’s challenges. So that when a pilot gets upset over his rosters, he or she also has an understanding on why it is happening,” a senior IndiGo executive said.