Airport inspections lift lid on safety gaps
The aviation regulator conducted intensive night and early morning surveillance operations at Delhi and Mumbai airports and found what officials described as systemic lapses across aircraft maintenance, ground operations, and airport infrastructure.
The enhanced oversight, initiated through an order issued on June 19 — a week after the Air India crash that killed at least 271 people — represents one of the most comprehensive safety assessments of India's aviation ecosystem in recent years, with similar reviews planned for Hyderabad and Kolkata airports.
The surveillance revealed critical maintenance-related violations that directly impact flight safety, the regulator said in a statement. 'At places, AMEs [aircraft maintenance engineers] were not attending to snag rectification; defect reports generated by the aircraft system were not found recorded in the technical logbook; several life vests were not properly secured beneath their designated seats,' the DGCA revealed.
AMEs are part of companies that run engineering and maintenance services. Typically, they are part of the airline but can at times include contractors. The regulator did not identify any specific provider.
During aircraft maintenance, inspectors discovered that prescribed work orders were not being followed. More seriously, unserviceable thrust reverser systems and Flap Slat Levers — devices used by pilots to extend or retract wing flaps and slats during takeoff and landing — were not properly locked as required by safety protocols.
The DGCA found that aircraft maintenance engineers were not taking mandatory safety precautions as specified in Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, creating potential hazards during maintenance operations.
Ground handling operations showed significant deficiencies, with essential equipment including baggage trolleys found in unserviceable condition. Line maintenance facilities were operating without proper tool control procedures, violating established safety protocols.
At the airport infrastructure level, inspectors found faded runway centreline markings that could impair pilot navigation during critical takeoff and landing phases. Rapid exit taxiway green centre lights were not functioning unidirectionally, potentially creating confusion for pilots during ground operations.
Concerningly, obstruction limitation data around airports had not been updated for three years despite numerous new constructions in airport vicinity areas. No surveys had been conducted to assess whether these structures posed collision risks to aircraft.
Multiple vehicles operating in sensitive ramp areas lacked mandatory speed governors. The DGCA immediately withdrew these vehicles by cancelling their Airport Vehicle Permits and suspended the drivers' Airside Driving Permits.
The checks also uncovered problems with pilot training infrastructure. Inspectors found a flight simulator that did not match its corresponding aircraft configuration, with software that had not been updated to current versions — issues that could compromise the effectiveness of pilot training programs.
In a separate incident reported on Monday, an Air India aircraft scheduled to operate the Delhi-Kochi flight was grounded Saturday due to a missing Cabin Defect Log, taking off only after a new log was issued. The Cabin Defect Log is used to record technical issues found in aircraft cabin areas and is essential for regulatory compliance, allowing engineers to identify and address problems before takeoff.
The safety violations had immediate operational consequences. One domestic flight was held up due to worn tires and was cleared for departure only after required maintenance was completed, demonstrating the direct impact of the surveillance on flight operations.
A DGCA official confirmed that 'findings during the surveillance revealed multiple cases where reported defects re-appeared many times on aircraft, indicating ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification action on repeated defects.'
'All the findings observed during the surveillance have been communicated to the operators for taking necessary corrective actions within seven days,' the DGCA stated, indicating the urgency with which the regulator is treating the identified violations.
The safety review follows other recent enforcement actions, including the DGCA's order directing Air India to remove three officials from crew scheduling duties over 'systemic failures' in operational processes, though those violations were unrelated to the Ahmedabad crash.
Officials confirmed that the review process will continue, with similar comprehensive assessments planned for other major airports including Hyderabad and Kolkata as part of the ongoing safety evaluation ordered on June 19.
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