Air India Express Rejigs Cockpit Communication Etiquette, Wants Informal Environment

Air India Express, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of India’s national carrier Air India, has issued notices to its first officers to address the pilot-in-command not as ‘Sir’ but by their first name or simply as ‘Captain’. The budget carrier aims to instil an informal environment in the cockpit with this move.

According to a report, the circular issued by the Kochi headquartered airline referred to an October 2018 incident in which the aircraft hit a ground-based navigation aid before a tail strike. The cited incident occurred three years ago in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, that left the aircraft with a fissured underbelly and was blamed on communication failure between pilots prompting AI Express to come up with new communication directives in the cockpit.

The Times of India report also cited an investigation report released earlier last month by the Aircraft Accident Bureau. According to the investigation, there was a sudden and unexpected tilt of the commander's seat during the take-off. As the seat reclined, the commander involuntarily pulled back the thrust lever, which reduced the power of the engines. Both pilots failed to notice the thrust and take corrective action and it was due to lack of coordination and communication failure among the crew.

Meanwhile, the airline’s latest circular is aimed to improve the Cockpit Resource Management (CRM), reduce "trans-cockpit-authority-gradient" and encourage a more formal cockpit environment in the cockpit. It recognised the need for an informal atmosphere in the cockpit and also said that it may be a “generational and cultural shift" in which the pilot-in-command be either called by their first name or simply as ‘Captain’ may take time to see results.

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The report also cited a quote from an air-safety expert, who said owing to Indian cultural issues, referring to a senior by his/her first name does not go down well especially in a company like Air India Express. However, he was optimistic about calling pilot-in-command as ‘Captain’.

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