New Delhi, Feb 24 In a bid to address a recent surge in aviation incidents, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday announced stringent new measures to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against safety compromises in the Non-Scheduled Operators (NSOP) sector.
The meeting with all NSOPs was called after all seven people on board an air ambulance that crashed in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday evening were killed. Last month, former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president, Ajit Pawar, died in the fatal crash involving a Learjet 45XR operated by VSR Ventures.
The aviation regulator said it is introducing a mandatory disclosure policy.
“NSOP operators will be required to disclose critical safety information on their websites, including aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience. This ensures that customers are fully informed about the standards of the aircraft they charter,” said the DGCA after the meeting.
The regulator is planning to implement a safety ranking mechanism for all non-scheduled operators and to publish the criteria for such rankings on the DCA website for public information.
The authority will also conduct increased random Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) audits and cross-verify ADS-B data, fuel records, and technical logs to detect unauthorised operations or the "falsifying" of data.
“Accountable managers and senior leadership will be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances; safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots,” said the DGCA.
Notably, pilots who violate Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) or attempt to land below safety minima may face license suspensions of up to 5 years. Operators failing to meet compliance standards will be penalised, and licenses/permits may be suspended.
The aviation regulator further said that increased monitoring will be applied to older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes.
Furthermore, the regulator will audit NSOPs that run their own Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities.
Those found to be inadequate will be required to outsource maintenance to approved organisations.
The regulator noted that weather-related accidents are often the result of poor judgment rather than of weather unpredictability.
“Operators are mandated to establish real-time weather update systems and strict compliance with established SOPs. Additionally, recurrent training for pilots must have greater emphasis on weather awareness strategies and decision-making in uncontrolled environments,” the DGCA said.
After the completion of phase 1 of the special safety audit of SOPs in early March, Phase 2, covering the remaining NSOPs, will be undertaken, it added.
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