CAL, Starlux to face penalties for aviation procedural violations

Taipei, June 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said Sunday it will impose penalties on China Airlines (CAL), Starlux Airlines, and the Starlux crew after an investigation found they failed to follow established diversion or go-around procedures earlier this year.

On April 3, a CAL flight CI753 from Taipei to Singapore experienced a single-engine failure but chose to return to Kaohsiung Airport instead of landing at the nearest alternate airport, sparking a controversy.

The CAA said that in the CAL case, an analysis of weather data, communications, and other relevant materials showed that while the pilots did not violate any regulations in executing the in-flight engine shutdown and diversion procedures, the flight's failure to land at an en-route alternate or the nearest suitable airport reflected shortcomings in the company's operational oversight.

As such, the CAA will impose penalties on the airline following a review, the aviation regulator said in a statement.

In response, CAL acknowledged that its reporting mechanism for abnormal situations during the diversion incident could be improved.

The airline added that it has conducted an internal review and completed revisions to its flight operations manuals to ensure strict compliance with relevant procedures by all personnel.

In a separate incident on March 3, two Starlux pilots operating flight JX789 from Taipei to Clark International Airport in the Philippines reportedly failed to perform a go-around maneuver in accordance with the airline's flight operations procedures.

The CAA said that after investigating the landing and go-around of flight JX789, it found that the crew did not follow proper procedures and that the airline's internal reporting mechanism was flawed. As a result, penalties will be issued separately to the airline and the pilots following the review.

Starlux responded that upon learning of the incident, it immediately verified the facts and proactively reported the violation to the CAA.

In addition to fully cooperating with the investigation, the airline said it has implemented several measures to enhance pilot training and improve internal reporting procedures to prevent any recurrence.

The two pilots submitted voluntary resignations following the airline's investigation into the incident, Starlux Chairman Chang Kuo-Wei (張國煒) said last Friday during the company's annual shareholders meeting.

According to the CAA, pilots may be fined between NT$60,000 (US$2,029) and NT$300,000, while airlines may face fines ranging from NT$600,000 to NT$3 million for the violations. However, the final penalty amounts will be determined after deliberation by the CAA review committee.