The safety of air operations at Calcutta and other airports in the east is being compromised because of a shortage of air safety officers (ASO).

Although crores are being spent on the upgrade of communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) equipment in Calcutta for the past three years, there is only one air safety officer for surveillance of 17 airports in the region.

“There are 29 ASOs in the four regions of the country, with one officer in Calcutta looking after the entire eastern region,” Kanu Gohain, the director-general of civil aviation (DGCA), said over the phone from Delhi.

“We have requested the civil aviation ministry to increase manpower. Recruitment will begin soon,” he added.

The air safety controller’s office in Calcutta is supposed to conduct surprise checks across the region to catch drunk pilots and cabin crew and to ensure in-flight safety, like having oxygen masks and life jackets for every passenger.

At the airports, too, the ASO is supposed to check whether runway lines and lights can be seen clearly by pilots during landing and whether the runways are safe for operations. They also have to ensure all CNS systems at the air traffic control are working properly.

In the early 1990s, when Indian Airlines and Air India were the only carriers in the domestic sector, the regional air safety office had three ASOs.

Now, there are eight domestic airlines and numerous international flights operating from Calcutta. Airport sources said the number of private chartered aircraft and cargo flights, too, has grown manifold.

“The posts of two officers who were transferred to the headquarters in Delhi in January 2005 have not been filled yet. Now, only one officer investigates all air mishaps and has to ensure that safety norms are followed in the entire region,” said a senior official of the DGCA office in Delhi.

According to airport sources, with the increase in flights, the number of air misses and other safety failures have also gone up.

“If there are two incidents in separate airports, it becomes physically impossible for the lone officer to attend to both. In cases of emergency, officials from the Delhi headquarters have to be sent,” the official said.

“However, it is difficult for one officer to ensure all these are maintained at the 17 airports,” the DGCA official said.