DGCA unveils strict safety mechanism for non-scheduled operators after Jharkhand plane crash

Asserting that safety lapses cannot "simply be blamed" on pilots, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday unveiled a strict safety mechanism for non-scheduled flight operators in the wake recent crashes, which includes mandatory public disclosure of aircraft maintenance history and pilot experiences well as a new safety ranking.

The decisions came at a meeting, which was held to “address a recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasised the critical need for an increased focus on safety across the sector”, held by DGCA with non-scheduled operators here, a day after a plane crashed in Jharkhand. 

It also came following a comprehensive review of accident data from the past decade, which identified non-adherence to SOPs, inadequate flight planning and training deficiencies as the "primary causative factors" in aircraft accidents.

On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others died in a plane crash near Baramati.

Insisting on a zero-tolerance policy toward safety compromises, the DGCA said safety must remain the "absolute priority superseding all commercial considerations, charter commitments or VIP movements". It said the Pilot-in-Command's decision to "divert, delay, or cancel a flight for safety reasons is final and must be respected by operators without commercial consequences".

Emphasising transparency, the DGCA is introducing a mandatory public disclosure critical safety information on their websites about aircraft age, maintenance history and pilot experience, which the regulator said ensures that customers have full knowledge about the standards of the aircraft they charter.

It will also come up with a safety ranking on DGCA website besides having intensive audits, which include random cockpit voice recorder audits and cross verify ADS-B data, fuel records and technical logs to detect unauthorised operations or falsification of data.

The DGCA made it clear that managers and senior leadership will be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances. Pilots found violating Flight Duty Time Limitations or attempting to land below safety minima may face licence suspensions up to five years. Operators will be penalised and licences suspended if found violating rules.

There will be increased monitoring by DGCA on older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes besides auditing operators who run their own Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. The operators will also have to establish real-time weather update systems and ensure strict compliance with SOPs.

After completion of the first phase of the special safety audit of NSOPs in early March, the second phase covering the remaining NSOPs will be undertaken. "Additionally, a physical workshop on safety will be convened following the completion of current intensive audits to ensure all stakeholders are aligned with these new operational mandates,” DGCA said.