Still reeling from last week’s deadly crash, TransAsia Airways (復興航空) yesterday announced that it has canceled 44 domestic flights scheduled for today, as only 39 pilots are cleared for flight duties after 10 pilots failed emergency preparedness tests.
TransAsia had already called off 34 flights scheduled yesterday following the oral test conducted on Tuesday, which covered basic knowledge, such as procedures to follow in emergencies.
The cancelations are yet another hit to the local carrier after one of its ATR 72-600 turboprop planes crashed on Wednesday last week, killing 43 of the 58 people onboard and prompting a re-evaluation of pilots’ competency after black box recordings indicated human error might have caused the crash.
The last remaining body was recovered yesterday, the government said.
TransAsia was already under scrutiny after another of its ATR 72 planes crashed in Penghu in July last year, killing 48 of the 58 people onboard.
TransAsia president Fred Wu (吳滬生) yesterday said that the test results from earlier this week are “unacceptable,” adding that the carrier would retrain its pilots under the Civil Aeronautics Administration’s (CAA) guidance.
The 10 pilots who failed the test, along with 19 others who were not tested because they were overseas or on vacation, have been barred from flying until they pass, the CAA said.
For TransAsia, the pilot shortage has already affected flights this week and the chaos could last into the lucrative Lunar New Year season, when air traffic peaks.
According to the CAA, one-way seats available on TransAsia’s domestic flights, which operate on ATR aircraft, might see a massive reduction of 40 percent to just 1,800 per day.
The CAA said it has demanded that TransAsia bring out its Airbus A321/320 jets to help meet travel demand, asking other local carriers to operate more flights during the holiday period.
TransAsia said any changes to the airline’s flight schedule after today are to be posted on its official Web site.
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