DGCA finds several flaws within domestic airline operations, gives 7 days to fix issues

The aviation regulator, which ordered a new set of Comprehensive Special Audits of airports to enhance safety following the jolt to the country’s civil aviation sector in the wake of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, found "multiple cases wherein the reported defects re-appeared many times on the aircraft indicating the ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification action on the defects/repeated defects".

As part of the inspections, certain safety violations and lapses have been identified and action is being taken, including in line maintenance stores, where tool control procedures were not followed, the regulator said in a statement.

The regulator also found that during maintenance of aircraft, the work order was not followed and, in some instances during maintenance safety precautions by aircraft maintenance engineers (AME) per the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM).

In one instance, an airline was asked to cancel a domestic flight over a safety issue.

"A domestic flight of a scheduled carrier was held up due to worn tyres and it was released only after the required rectification was carried out," the DGCA said in its statement.

In many cases, reported defects reappeared several times on aircraft, indicating inadequate rectification.

The civil aviation regulator has given airport operators in India seven days to fix critical safety issues after inspections found lapses at major airports.

Following the Air India plane crash earlier this month, the agency initiated a focused assessment of the aviation ecosystem to strengthen safety measures across the sector.

"All the findings observed during the surveillance have been communicated to the concerned operators for taking necessary corrective actions within seven days. This process of comprehensive surveillance will continue in future to detect hazards in the system," the regulator said in a notice.

Two teams led by the Joint Director General carried out comprehensive surveillance during night and early morning hours at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, it added.

The DGCA has also launched a detailed audit of Air India’s main base in Gurugram, stepping up its oversight of the airline following the tragic crash of a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad earlier this month.

The accident killed nearly 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, and has triggered a wider review of aviation safety protocols across the country. According to a source, an eight-member DGCA team has commenced the audit at the Tata Group-owned airline’s hub.