DGCA Toughens Safety Rules For Non-Scheduled Aircraft Operators As Aviation Incidents Rise - Here Are The Key Changes

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA ) on Tuesday announced new stringent safety measures for non-scheduled flight operators, including public disclosure of aircraft maintenance history and a safety ranking mechanism.

According to an official statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the aviation regulator convened a high-level meeting with non-scheduled flight operators to address a rise in aviation incidents.

The meeting was held a day after a non-scheduled operator (NSOP) aircraft crashed in Jharkhand, killing all seven people on board, PTI reported.

“This high-level interaction follows a comprehensive review of accident data from the past decade, which identifies non-adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), inadequate flight planning, and training deficiencies as the primary causative factors in aircraft accidents,” the DGCA said.

Surge in aviation incidents sparks concern; DGCA issues stern warning

The meeting was held to "address a recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasised the critical need for an increased focus on safety across the sector," the DGCA said in the statement.

Sending out a strict warning, the regulator said accountable managers and senior leadership of NSOPs would be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances and stressed that "safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots".

What are the new norms?

- Mandatory public disclosures: The DGCA is introducing a mandatory disclosure policy, where NSOP operators will be required to disclose critical safety information on their websites, including aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience.

- Safety ranking: The regulator will implement a safety ranking mechanism for all non-scheduled operators, and the criteria for such ranking will be published on the DGCA website.

- Intensive audits: The authority will 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.

- Management responsibility: Those at senior leadership positions will be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances. The DGCA also said that safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots.

- Stricter penalties: Pilots found guilty of violating Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) or attempting to land below safety minima may face licence suspensions of up to five years. Meanwhile, operators failing to meet compliance standards will also be penalised and their licences or permits may be suspended.

- Maintenance scrutiny: Increased monitoring will be applied to older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes. Additionally, the DGCA will audit NSOPs that run their own Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities.

- Addressing weather and training: Operators are mandated to establish real-time weather update systems and strict compliance with established SOPs.

- Phase 2 of special safety audit of NSOPs: After the completion of phase 1 of special safety audit of NSOPs in early March 2026, Phase 2 covering the rest of the NSOPs will be undertaken.

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