The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has given airlines as well as airport operators in India seven days to fix critical safety issues after recent checks at major airports found several serious lapses, including aircraft defects.
Following the fatal crash of Air India-Boeing 787 aircraft on June 12, the country’s aviation safety watchdog initiated a focused assessment in a bid to identify and rectify potential safety hazards in the aviation ecosystem.
As part of this initiative, two teams led by the joint director general conducted extensive surveillance during night and early morning hours at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai. The inspection scrutinised critical areas such as flight operations, aircraft airworthiness, ramp safety, air traffic control systems, navigation, and pre-flight medical checks.
During the surveillance, the officials closely monitored ground activities and aircraft movements, focusing on regulatory compliance and areas of improvement. The inspection uncovered several issues, including repeated aircraft defects that indicated “ineffective monitoring” and “inadequate corrective actions”, the DGCA said in a statement on Tuesday.
Additionally, ground handling equipment such as baggage trolleys and fire extinguishers was found unserviceable, and maintenance procedures were not consistently followed—work orders and tool control protocols were ignored, and safety precautions during aircraft maintenance were often overlooked.
Other safety lapses included unrecorded defect reports in aircraft logbooks, unsecured life vests beneath seats, and damage to aircraft components like the winglet. The surveillance also revealed infrastructure concerns, such as faded runway centerline markings, non-unidirectional green lights on rapid exit taxiways, and outdated obstruction data, with no recent surveys despite ongoing construction around aerodromes.
Vehicle safety was also examined and ramp vehicles lacking speed governors were identified and subsequently withdrawn, with drivers’ access and credentials suspended, according to the regulator.
Furthermore, a simulator used for pilot training was found to be mismatched with actual aircraft configuration and running outdated software.
An incident involving a domestic scheduled flight was noted, where a delay occurred due to worn tyres. The aircraft was cleared for departure only after proper rectification.
“All the findings observed during the surveillance have been communicated to the concerned operators for taking necessary corrective actions within seven days,” DGCA said. “This process of comprehensive surveillance will continue in future to detect hazards in the system.”
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