New Delhi witnessed a decisive move by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday, announcing stringent measures for non-scheduled operators (NSOPs) amid a spate of aviation mishaps. The regulator’s zero-tolerance stance on safety lapses comes in the wake of tragic incidents, including Monday’s air ambulance crash in Jharkhand’s Chatra district that claimed seven lives and a prior fatal Learjet accident linked to a prominent political figure in Maharashtra.
In a high-level meeting with all NSOPs, DGCA unveiled a mandatory disclosure policy. Operators must now publish critical safety details on their websites, such as aircraft age, maintenance records, and pilot experience. This transparency aims to empower customers chartering flights with full knowledge of the aircraft’s standards.
A new safety ranking system for all non-scheduled operators is on the horizon, with criteria to be publicly listed on the DGCA website. Enhanced audits of cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) will be routine, alongside cross-verification of ADS-B data, fuel records, and technical logs to detect unauthorized operations or falsified information.
Accountability is shifting beyond pilots. DGCA emphasized that managers and senior leadership will face personal responsibility for systemic non-compliance. Pilots violating flight duty time limitations (FDTL) or attempting landings below safety minima risk license suspensions up to five years. Non-compliant operators could incur hefty fines and license revocations.
Special scrutiny awaits older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes. NSOPs operating their own maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities will undergo rigorous audits; deficiencies will force outsourcing to approved organizations.
Weather-related accidents, DGCA noted, often stem from poor judgment rather than unpredictability. Operators are directed to install real-time weather update systems and adhere strictly to standard operating procedures (SOPs). Pilot training will intensify focus on weather awareness and decision-making in uncontrolled environments.
Following Phase 1 of special safety audits on SOPs in early March, Phase 2 will cover remaining NSOPs, signaling a comprehensive overhaul in India’s non-scheduled aviation safety regime.