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India Gazette
22-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
DGCA launches comprehensive special audit to strengthen India's aviation safety
New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI): In a significant move to enhance India's aviation safety framework, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a comprehensive special audit initiative under General Safety Circular 01 of 2025, announcing the rollout of a Comprehensive Special Audit initiative aimed at providing a 360-degree assessment of the nation's aviation ecosystem. The initiative reflects a strategic shift from the conventional silo-based oversight system to an integrated, risk-informed, performance-driven model of regulatory auditing & DGCA's commitment to fostering a safe, efficient, and sustainable aviation environment. By integrating global best practices--including those from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), and India's National Aviation Safety Plan--the audits will assess compliance, operational performance, and system resilience across all facets of the aviation industry. This audit will proactively identify systemic vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience across India's aviation sector. Unlike routine checks, the special audits will apply to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, ranging from scheduled and private air operators to maintenance firms, training institutions, air navigation providers, and ground handlers. Even supporting elements such as emergency systems and technology vendors fall within its scope, underlining DGCA's ambition for a truly end-to-end evaluation. The document reads, 'The Special Audit applies to all primary aviation entities, including scheduled, non-scheduled, and private air operators, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organisations, Approved Training Organisations (ATOs), Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), Aerodrome Operators, and Ground Handling Agencies (GHAs). Additionally, it encompasses supporting elements such as technology providers, emergency response systems, supply chain networks, and regulatory coordination bodies. This broad scope ensures a holistic evaluation of the interconnected components that define the aviation ecosystem. Audits will be carried out by multidisciplinary teams led by senior DGCA officials and supported by subject-matter experts from various aviation domains. The assessment will include document reviews, on-site inspections, staff interviews, and analysis of safety data trends. Findings will be classified by severity, with deadlines for corrective action ranging from 7 to 90 days. Entities will be required to submit a corrective action plan within 15 days of the audit's conclusion, and failure to comply could lead to escalating enforcement, from warnings and fines to suspension of licenses. The audit process is divided into three phases. The Pre-Audit Phase (5-7 days) involves intelligence gathering, stakeholder consultation, risk profiling, and audit plan development. The On-Site Audit Phase (3-5 days) includes an opening meeting to clarify objectives, followed by document reviews, inspections, interviews, process observations, and daily debriefs to discuss preliminary findings. The Post-Audit Phase (10-15 days) encompasses finding validation, risk assessment, final report preparation, and publication. This structured process ensures transparency and stakeholder engagement throughout, as mentioned in the document. The audits may be triggered by critical incidents, regulatory violations, or international findings, but they will also be scheduled proactively, including annual ecosystem-wide reviews. The DGCA has committed to transparency, confidentiality, and due process throughout the audit lifecycle, including provisions for appeal. With this new framework now in immediate effect, DGCA aims not only to meet international standards but to set them. The agency sees this initiative as central to building a world-class aviation infrastructure that is resilient, accountable, and future-ready. (ANI)
Time of India
19-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: Bird-attracting sites near airports must be closed, demands animal rights group while flagging past data of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad
Image credit: PTI NEW DELHI: With investigators looking into if a bird strike, among other reasons, caused an Air India plane crash near the Ahmedabad airport, an animal rights group on Thursday wrote to the director general of civil aviation seeking immediate nationwide enforcement of a rule that prohibits bird-attracting establishments, such as slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairies and garbage dumps, within 10 km of an airport. The People for Animals (PFA) Public Policy Foundation demanded strict compliance of Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, at every airport and licensed aerodrome to mitigate the growing bird strike-threat to aviation safety and public life by closing down such establishments. In its letter to the DGCA, flagging the govt's response in Rajya Sabha in 2023, the organisation highlighted the Ahmedabad airport's troubling record that includes 319 documented bird/animal (wildlife) strikes between Jan 2018 and Oct 2023, ranking it the third most-affected airport nationally after Delhi (710) and Mumbai (352). It said in 2023, Ahmedabad reported 81 bird/animal strikes, representing a 107% increase from the previous year. Sharing the data in Rajya Sabha on Dec 18, 2023, the govt had, however, underlined that no plane had crashed due to bird strike in the last five years and only one occurrence had been reported wherein an aircraft made an emergency landing due to bird strike at the Kolkata airport in 2021. Referring to a bird/animal strike data analysis, the govt had told the upper House that the maximum number of strikes occurred during the landing and takeoff phases. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Noting that bird/animal strikes surged from 167 incidents in 2006 to 1,125 in 2022 nationally, the foundation in its letter highlighted that the national bird strike rate in 2022 stood at 9.14 per 10,000 aircraft movements. It was more than double the safety performance target of 4.26 set by the National Aviation Safety Plan 2018-22. The target was reiterated in the subsequent plan too. 'We can't keep calling these tragedies 'unforeseen' when the warnings have been clear for years. The Ahmedabad airport alone had 319 documented incidents, every single one was a red flag,' said Gauri Maulekhi, trustee and member secretary of PFA Public Policy Foundation. The letter to the DGCA also flagged that the recently enacted Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, further emphasises the law by imposing strict penalties of up to three years imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 1 crore for any contravention of Rule 91. Pitching for strict enforcement of the existing laws/rules, Maulekhi said, 'The laws we have aren't suggestions, they are meant to protect people's lives. If these laws had been properly enforced and these establishments had been shut down, maybe this tragedy could have been prevented. It's time the DGCA issues clear, binding orders to states and local authorities to finally address this problem head-on.' The PFA in its letter claimed that slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairies, piggeries and waste dumping sites continue to operate in large numbers within the vicinity of major airports across the country despite the clear statutory prohibition. Citing examples, it said the Jamalpur slaughterhouse and Asarwa fish market are located close to the airport in Ahmedabad. Delhi, which reports the highest cumulative number of bird/animal strikes nationally, is surrounded by more than 500 such establishments as documented in recent surveys and site visitations, it added. 'Similar conditions persist in Mumbai and other major cities, where these activities act as a constant attractant for large populations of scavenging birds and contribute directly to the escalating risk of bird strikes,' PFA said. "We already have clear laws and years of data showing us exactly what the problem is. What we are missing is accountability and enforcement. If we are serious about preventing more tragedies like this, we need immediate action: enforce the law, close these illegal establishments, and publicly track compliance so people can see real progress. That's the only way the public will believe our skies are safe again,' said Mihir Dawar, policy specialist at the Foundation.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- The Hindu
So far, 27 instances of laser beam interference reported at Chennai airport this year
Flights landing at Chennai airport have faced laser light interference 27 times so far this year, with the latest instance occurring on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, when an Air India Express flight from Pune was approaching the city, a white laser beam struck the aircraft. Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the incident occurred when the flight was nearly three nautical miles from touchdown. The pilot informed Air Traffic Control (ATC), and a complaint was also filed in this regard at the Airport police station. The flights arriving after that did not face any such interference. A few weeks ago, Emirates and Gulf Air flights encountered laser beam interferences, taking the number of incidents to 27 till June 2025, when compared to 65 incidents last year. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in its National Aviation Safety Plan 2024-28, said: 'Laser interference during critical phases of flight poses a significant hazard and can jeopardize the safety of the aircraft. It can cause distractions, temporary blindness, and startle response in the pilot.' AAI officials said if the information about laser beam interferences was reported immediately by pilots, then it would be easier to trace the offenders. Though some are reported immediately, pilots sometimes file a report only after they return to their bases. It is already too late by this time, officials said. They held an extensive meeting in this regard with the members of the Greater Chennai Police, the DGCA, airline operators, and ATC. They had also asked the DGCA if laser lights could be banned to prevent such incidents. 'Since air traffic controllers communicate with pilots, we have requested them to ask pilots for more information that may assist in locating the spot from where the laser was fired. The police asked for zones where past incidents occurred to keep a heightened vigil. When pilots and air traffic controllers give us information to determine the precise location of the laser beam, it will become possible to locate those responsible,' an official said. The AAI reiterated that they had been constantly taking measures to raise awareness on laser light interference among the public, giving away pamphlets about the hazards of laser lights and the danger it poses to flights approaching the airport.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Laser beam strikes flight during arrival at city airport
: Around 8.15 p.m. on Sunday, as an Emirates B777-300 flight from Dubai was making its descent to the city airport, a green laser light struck the aircraft. The pilot immediately reported the incident to the Air Traffic Control (ATC), who informed the police. A day prior to this incident, a Gulf Air flight faced the same issue. In the month of May alone, there were five instances of laser beam interference experienced by flights landing at the Chennai airport, making it difficult for pilots to manoeuvre the aircraft. 'When the flight was around six nautical miles away from touchdown, the pilot encountered the issue and reported it to the ATC. The flashing of the laser stopped abruptly, and the flight landed safely at the 25-end (Guindy end) of the main runway,' a source said. Laser beam interference is dangerous and categorised under 'hazardous incidents'. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has underscored the seriousness of this issue, especially when it occurs during critical phases of flight such as landing, approach and take-off, and how it could impact the pilot. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, in its National Aviation Safety Plan 2024-2028, said: 'Aiming a laser at an aircraft, especially during approach and landing, may blind the flight crew and lead to a loss of control during a critical phase of flight, potentially causing a serious incident/accident. Public awareness is essential for preventing the occurrence of such incidents.' In 2023, 144 cases of laser interference were reported during landing and take-off in the country. 'It is also difficult to trace and locate the individuals in such cases. We can only raise awareness, which we have been consistently doing. We keep highlighting the issue in the Airfield Environment Management Committee meetings as well,' a source said. Usually, there are just one or two instances of these incidents, but weddings or other events can lead to an increase in such cases, according to sources. 'From toys to small-scale events, access to lasers have become so common. The only thing we can do is sensitise people to its adverse impact on aircraft. Moreover, the use of laser beam lights should be barred within the vicinity of the airport,' another source said.
