Indigo Airline woman pilot held for faking documents for licence

NEW DELHI: An Indigo Airline woman pilot was arrested for obtaining a pilot’s license on forged documents, police said on Wednesday.

“Parminder Kaur Gulati, 38, was held from her residence at Kirti Nagar area in West Delhi Tuesday,” said deputy commissioner of police Ashok Chand.

Director of training & licensing of civil aviation department DC Sharma filed a complaint that Gulati had obtained an airlines transport pilot license (ALTP) on forged document.

The complaint came after Gulati was grounded following an incident of hard landing of Indigo Flight-6E-332 at Goa Jan 11. Director general of civil aviation (DGCA) has set up its own enquiry panel.

“They found that she had submitted forged result card of pilot license examination,” said the officer.

“She had failed in air navigation paper and was absent in the paper of radio aids and instruments in January 2009. She again appeared in April and July 2009 sessions, but failed both the time,” said Chand.

She submitted forged result card of passing air navigation and radio aids & instruments to DGCA April 11, 2009 and on November 16, 2009 she was issued an ATPL.

Gulati completed her bachelor of science from Khalsa College of Delhi University in 1995. In 1997, she got private pilot license from Delhi Flying Club and she then her commercial pilot license from the same club in 1998.

In May, 2006, she joined Air Deccan as co-pilot and in November, 2007 she joined Indigo Airlines as co-pilot.

“After getting ALTP in November 2009 on forged document, she became a captain in Indigo Airline,” said Chand.