AI deploys AME for engine start-up clearance of flight

National carrier Air India has been forced to deploy aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) for engine start-up clearance of its flights following the technicians' association, who perform such duties, urging its members not to give such clearances unless management addresses safety issues raised by it.
"AMEs are performing the duties of service engineers since yesterday as the Indian Aircraft technicians' Association (IATA) has advised them not to do so till further instructions," sources said.
IATA's call to its members came following a freak accident at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday where a technician (service engineer) died after getting sucked in to the engine

IATA is the recognised body of around 2,400 service engineers in the Government-owned airline.
Sources also said that IATA has also communicated its decision to Air India's engineering subsidiary Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) while demanding an assurance on written "safety and security" of its members.
"The incident has shaken us as a whole and forced us to re-think about our working conditions which have time and again been brought to the knowledge of management but to no effect. And the result is fatal incident," according to the letter.
"Our category has been neglected by the engineering management and for everything, resulting in such loss of life, who will be held responsible for this? will the punishment to guilty bring back the sole guardian of the family," the IATA questioned the management.

As a result our service engineers will be compelled not to give engine start-up clearance with immediate effect till the safety and security is ensured in all ways," IATA said in the letter to AIESL Chief Executive Officer, a copy of which has also been sent to Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani.