Security norms affect internship of aircraft engineers

V Ayyappan | TNN
May 29, 2009

Chennai: It has been five months since Deepak had applied to various airline offices for a six-month internship programme, but he is yet to hear from any airline yet. On-thejob training is mandatory during the last leg of the three-year Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) course, which Deepak is undergoing. There are 60 students in his batch and except for three of them who managed to get internships in Bangalore, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, the rest continue to wait.
One of the reasons AME students are finding it difficult to gain internships is that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) do not want students attending to aircraft in high security zones. In other words, heightened security seems to be affecting the prospects of AME students. And this, despite airlines facing a shortage of maintenance engineers.
Until last year, private airlines such as Air Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines, Blue Dart and others used to enroll AME students as non-paid staff. It was a win-win situation for both airlines and students. The practice, however, came to a halt after AAI and BCAS raised security concerns. “It seems you need strong recommendation to get a slot in an airline,” said Deepak. Air India, for instance, received several applications this year, too. Every year, it would take eight students for on-the-job training in Chennai. But none was taken this year.
“BCAS declines to provide passes to students at major airports,” said an Air India official, adding, “We insist that students should pass DGCA’s examination papers one, two and three on civil aviation requirements, general aviation and aircraft engines before enrolling themselves for training at different airports.”
An AAI official said private airlines were wary of engaging students because of the lack of accountability. “Air Deccan stopped taking in students after a snag was found in an aircraft maintained by students. If a safety issue comes up, airlines cannot fix responsibility on students,” he added.