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The government has decided to conduct unscheduled inspections of pilots to more effectively check whether they comply with flight operation and safety regulations while navigating aircraft.
The move comes as pilots have been caught drinking alcohol in cockpits or engaging in other unprofessional conduct. Industry watchers say some aviators often fail to follow flight manuals or abide by safety rules.
However, pilots have shown a lukewarm response toward the government’s latest move, arguing they place top priority on ensuring the safety of airplanes and passengers. They claim the planned random inspection would not achieve its intended goal and only hinder them from performing their duties.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said Thursday that it has carried out unannounced inspections of pilots at the country’s seven airlines — two national flagship carriers and five low-cost carriers — since January.
It said nine aviation safety inspectors have and will randomly board both cargo and commercial aircraft to observe how pilots operate.
“In the past, inspectors had to notify airlines of inspection schedules in advance to check on pilots. So, it was almost impossible to accurately monitor whether they followed flight manuals and abided by safety rules,” said Chang Man-heui, director of the ministry’s aviation safety division. “But nine of our inspectors obtained a special permit from the Ministry of Justice in January, empowering them to enter a cockpit at anytime, just like pilots and flight attendants.”
Chang said the inspectors have been closely examining whether pilots are drunk or not before boarding an airplane, adding three pilots under the influence of alcohol were stopped from operating a plane over the past year.
In June last year, a drunken Eastar Jet pilot was stopped from boarding an aircraft at Gimpo International Airport. The plane was bound for Jeju but due to the incident, it was delayed by more than an hour, with the budget carrier scrambling to find a substitute pilot. The ministry suspended the pilot’s license and imposed fines on the company.
A month earlier, an Asiana Airlines pilot under the influence of alcohol was also caught by inspectors before boarding a plane. In October 2010, a Korean Air pilot was suspended from his duties for drinking before a flight.
“Inspectors can check pilots before they board a plane. But it is not as easy to monitor what pilots do in the cockpit. We think it is necessary to send our personnel into cockpits and examine how they perform their job,” the director said. “Pilots should remain vigilant at all times to ensure flight safety.”
Chang said inspectors looked into three low-cost carries during the Lunar New Year holiday, adding they will soon board both cargo and commercial airlines operated by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.
“We will compile what inspectors have found by the end of this year and make the findings public. We are positive that the strengthened monitoring of pilots will boost flight safety,” he said.
Pilots are raising doubts about the effectiveness of such measures, insisting it will not help flight safety.
“Aviators need to pay full attention to flight operation. But if an inspector is in the cockpit observing our behavior, we will surely be distracted,” Korean Air pilot Lee Kyu-nam said. He was a former vice president of the Korean Air Flight Crew Union. “But the bottom line is that inspectors have the right to do what they have to do. We respect that. But what I am trying to say is having them in the cockpit does not help improve flight operation and safety.”
Lee then said the government should also pay more attention to the plight of aviators. “We are always tired from flying long hours. We should be given enough break time to become operational again. The government should make more efforts to improve our welfare. This is a more effective way to ensure flight safety.”
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