<p>New Delhi: Seeking to generate a 360-degree evaluation of the aviation ecosystem in the country, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is launching “Comprehensive Special Audits” of all primary entities in the sector by “transcending the existing siloed assessments”.</p><p>These special audits, expected to “proactively identify” systemic vulnerabilities, enhance resilience, and ensure strict adherence to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and India’s aviation objectives, will be over and above the Annual Surveillance Programme’s regulatory audits.</p><p>DGCA Director-General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai’s June 19 General Safety Circular, detailing the special audits’ contours, came a week after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed within a minute of taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 on board.</p>.DGCA seeks details of Air India inspections and audits since 2024. <p>Special audits may be initiated based on mandatory triggers such as critical safety events (serious incidents or accidents), persistent regulatory non-compliance, safety audit findings, operational disruptions, or ICAO audit findings.</p><p>Non-compliance with audit findings or failure to implement Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) would result in enforcement actions, including advisory guidance, formal warnings, operational restrictions, financial penalties and suspension or revocation of licences, in line with the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024.</p><p>The circular said the new framework would “meticulously” examine safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. “Traditionally, regulatory and safety oversight functions within Indian aviation have been conducted in silos, with different directorates performing inspections and audits specific to their respective domains. These activities include planned/unplanned surveillance inspections, random pot checks and ramp inspections, which primarily assess compliance and safety within individual aviation segments,” it said.</p><p>The audits are expected to focus on examining Safety Management System (SMS), operational practices, and regulatory adherence across all primary aviation domains, including scheduled, non-scheduled and private operators, maintenance, repair, and overhaul organisations, approved training organisations, flight training organisations, air navigation service providers, aerodrome operators, and ground-handling agencies.</p><p>Aligned with ICAO’s Annexe 19, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, the Global Aviation Safety Plan, and the ICAO Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Plan, the audits would also encompass supporting elements like technology providers, emergency response systems, supply chain networks, and regulatory coordination bodies. </p>
<p>New Delhi: Seeking to generate a 360-degree evaluation of the aviation ecosystem in the country, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is launching “Comprehensive Special Audits” of all primary entities in the sector by “transcending the existing siloed assessments”.</p><p>These special audits, expected to “proactively identify” systemic vulnerabilities, enhance resilience, and ensure strict adherence to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and India’s aviation objectives, will be over and above the Annual Surveillance Programme’s regulatory audits.</p><p>DGCA Director-General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai’s June 19 General Safety Circular, detailing the special audits’ contours, came a week after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed within a minute of taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 on board.</p>.DGCA seeks details of Air India inspections and audits since 2024. <p>Special audits may be initiated based on mandatory triggers such as critical safety events (serious incidents or accidents), persistent regulatory non-compliance, safety audit findings, operational disruptions, or ICAO audit findings.</p><p>Non-compliance with audit findings or failure to implement Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) would result in enforcement actions, including advisory guidance, formal warnings, operational restrictions, financial penalties and suspension or revocation of licences, in line with the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024.</p><p>The circular said the new framework would “meticulously” examine safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. “Traditionally, regulatory and safety oversight functions within Indian aviation have been conducted in silos, with different directorates performing inspections and audits specific to their respective domains. These activities include planned/unplanned surveillance inspections, random pot checks and ramp inspections, which primarily assess compliance and safety within individual aviation segments,” it said.</p><p>The audits are expected to focus on examining Safety Management System (SMS), operational practices, and regulatory adherence across all primary aviation domains, including scheduled, non-scheduled and private operators, maintenance, repair, and overhaul organisations, approved training organisations, flight training organisations, air navigation service providers, aerodrome operators, and ground-handling agencies.</p><p>Aligned with ICAO’s Annexe 19, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, the Global Aviation Safety Plan, and the ICAO Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Plan, the audits would also encompass supporting elements like technology providers, emergency response systems, supply chain networks, and regulatory coordination bodies. </p>
