Dgca

DGCA investigates IndiGo tail strike incident, derosters flight crew

Aviation watchdog DGCA is probing the incident of tail strike involving an IndiGo aircraft on September 9 and the flight crew has been derostered, a senior official said on Tuesday. In a statement, IndiGo said its A321 aircraft was grounded in Bangalore due to a tail strike on September 9. It was operating the flight from Delhi to Bengaluru. "The aircraft is currently under maintenance and will be back in operation post necessary repairs. The incident is under investigation," the airline said. According to the senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the flight crew has been off rostered and the incident is under investigation.

SpiceJet's domestic market share shrinks to 2.3%, shows DGCA data

Overall, Indian carriers carried a total of 13.1 million domestic passengers, which was 5.7 per cent more year-on-year

DGCA orders special audit of flying training organisations to ensure safety

Aviation watchdog DGCA has ordered a special audit of flying training organisations in the country amid recent accidents involving training aircraft. The audit of flying training organisations (FTOs) will be conducted in three phases from September to November 2024. It will cover 33 FTOs. "This audit aims to thoroughly assess the safety standards, operational procedures, and systemic deficiencies within flying training organisations to ensure the highest levels of safety and compliance," DGCA said in a release on Thursday. The regulator said the move follows a series of recent training aircraft incidents that have sparked concerns regarding the compliance of FTOs with respect to the established aviation regulations and safety protocols. The last such special audit was conducted in 2022. "The audit will scrutinise each FTO's adherence to DGCA's regulatory standards, including aircraft maintenance, airworthiness, and training operations," the release said.

DGCA frames stricter norms for wet-leased plane ops by Indian airlines

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday proposed stricter norms for the oversight of wet-leased planes operated by Indian airlines. Faced with the grounding of a significant number of planes due to engine and supply chain woes, domestic carriers are utilising more wet-leased aircraft as a short-term measure to cater to rising air traffic demand. The watchdog has issued a draft for public consultation on the revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on wet/damp lease operations by Indian operators to strengthen the regulatory framework for safety oversight of wet/damp lease operations. Wet lease of an aircraft by an Indian carrier involves the leasing of foreign aircraft, along with crew, maintenance and insurance. The plane is also under the operational control of the foreign operator (lessor) and subject to regulatory requirements of the foreign civil aviation authority concerned. The safety oversight of such operations is also under the purview of the foreign

DGCA details certification requirements for vertical take-off, landing

This circular has been issued after extensive interaction with all concerned stakeholders

Civil aviation ministry trying to address SpiceJet's issues: Rammohan Naidu

The civil aviation ministry is looking at the issues being faced by SpiceJet and address them as the efforts are aimed at having a balance that will allow operations of more airlines amid the high demand in the Indian market, Union minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday. The airline is grappling with multiple issues, including financial and legal woes. On August 29, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to place crisis-hit SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance that will entail increased spot checks and night surveillance to ensure the safety of the airline's operations. "We are looking at SpiceJet... with the demand we have, we need more airlines to operate. So we are trying to have a balance and address the problems and (ensure the) airline runs properly," the minister said. He was responding to a question about concerns regarding the budget carrier. To a query about air ticket prices, the minister said airfares are market-driven and it is being monitored by th

Aviation watchdog DGCA releases vertiport guidelines for vertical liftoffs

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday issued guidelines for vertiports that can be used for operating aircraft that can take off and land in a vertical manner. The government is looking to push for eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft as part of advanced air mobility solutions. After extensive stakeholder consultations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a circular for the development and operation of vertiports to be used for aircraft capable of vertical take-offs and landings. The guidelines provide specifications for the essential infrastructure needed to support vertiport operations, including standards for visual aids to assist in landings, according to a release. It also mentions battery charging requirements as well as procedures to ensure preparedness and safety in case of emergencies. DGCA said the guidelines will enable in granting of site clearance and authorisation post-construction of a vertiport.

Aircraft engine part found outside Delhi airport; DGCA orders probe

Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered a probe into the incident of an aircraft engine part found outside the Delhi airport, sources said on Wednesday. While they mentioned that the metal part might be of an Air India Express aircraft that made an emergency landing at the airport on Monday, the airline said that it could not confirm yet if the metal pieces were from its aircraft. The sources in the know said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a probe into the incident. One of the sources said the parts are probably of a broken blade of an aircraft engine. When contacted, an Air India Express spokesperson said its flight IX 145 encountered an engine issue after takeoff from Delhi on September 2. The flight was bound for Bahrain. "The failure was managed in accordance with laid-down procedures, and a precautionary landing was conducted at Delhi," the spokesperson said in a statement. Further, the spokesperson said the matter has been reported to the regulator

Metal pieces from aircraft fell near Delhi Airport, DGCA orders inquiry

Emergency landing was declared at Delhi Airport on Monday evening when crew members detected some fault in the engine and the emergency landing of the flight was made successful

Air proximity incidents have reduced by 25% in 2 years, says DGCA

The DGCA said that the number of plane landings through "unstabilised approaches" per thousand such approaches has decreased by 23 per cent and met the target

DGCA's annual review shows improvement in India's air travel safety record

The number of unstabilized approaches that continue to land per ten thousand approaches has shown a continuous decreasing trend with a reduction of approximately 23 per cent and met the target

DGCA releases regulatory reforms to reduce compliance burden for operators

In a statement, DGCA informed that currently, there are two primary Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) governing the continuing airworthiness of aircraft: CAR-M and CAR-145

DGCA seeks to reduce compliance burden with new norms for light aircraft

Aviation watchdog DGCA has come out with new regulations to simplify the airworthiness requirements for light aircraft and non-scheduled plane operators as part of efforts to reduce compliance burden. The new regulations will come into effect from January 1, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a release on Tuesday. At present, there are two primary Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) governing the continuing airworthiness of aircraft -- CAR-M and CAR-145. CAR-M covers the continuing airworthiness of all aircraft types, including those used for scheduled operations, non-scheduled operations, flying training, general aviation, and private operations. CAR-145 specifies regulations for the maintenance of aircraft used in commercial operations and complex motor aircraft. These regulations are applicable uniformly across organisations irrespective of size and for maintenance processes required for commercial as well as private aircraft. In order to put in place

DGCA cracks the whip on 3 airlines; SpiceJet under 'enhanced surveillance'

SpiceJet, Akasa Air, Air India Express under fire for lack of safety standards, failing to compensate passengers

DGCA places Spicejet under surveillance after audit reveals deficiencies

A senior DGCA official said that based on reports of cancellation of flights and financial stress being experienced by Spicejet Airlines, a special audit was conducted

DGCA puts SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance, to increase spot checks

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Thursday decided to place crisis-hit SpiceJet under enhanced surveillance that will entail increased spot checks and night surveillance to ensure the safety of the airline's operations. Based on reports of cancellation of flights and financial stress being experienced by SpiceJet, DGCA said it conducted a special audit of the airline's engineering facilities on August 7 and 8 and certain deficiencies were found during the audit. "In light of the past record and the special audit carried out in August 2024, SpiceJet has once again been placed under enhanced surveillance with immediate effect. "This would entail an increase in the number of spot checks/ night surveillance with a view to ensure the safety of operations," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a release.

DGCA fines Air India Express for non-compliance with compensation rules

The civil aviation ministry introduced a charter of passenger rights in 2019, mandating airlines to inform passengers of any flight cancellation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled departure

DGCA slaps Rs 10 lakh fine on Air India Express for not paying compensation

Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express for non-payment of compensation to passengers for cancelled flights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out an inspection as per Annual Surveillance Programme (ASP) 2024 of scheduled domestic operators in June. This was in respect of norms pertaining to facilities and compensation that are to be provided to passengers. "During the surveillance inspection of the airlines, it was observed that Air India Express was not complying with the provisions of CAR Section-3, Series M, Part IV," DGCA said in a release. Subsequently, a show cause notice was issued to Air India Express. The regulator said the airline's reply revealed that it had not complied with the provisions for providing compensation to passengers affected due to cancellation of flights. For the violations, DGCA has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Air India Express. Specific details about the violations could not

DGCA suspends approval for flying training firm Alchemist Aviation

Aviation watchdog DGCA has suspended the approval for Alchemist Aviation following an audit done in the wake of a fatal trainee aircraft accident that found the flying training organisation being non-compliant with regulations. The move comes less than two weeks after the organisation's trainee aircraft was involved in the fatal accident that killed the two people on board -- instructor and trainee pilot. Following the accident on August 20, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted a special safety audit of Alchemist Aviation on August 23 and 24. "During the audit, several serious deficiencies and non-compliances of regulatory provisions were found," DGCA said in a release on Thursday. Alchemist Aviation is into local flying at Jamshedpur Sonari airport in Jharkhand. The regulator said it has suspended the approval granted to Alchemist Aviation to operate as a Flying Training Organisation. "The FTO will have to mandatorily undergo a de novo rectification proces

Air India fined Rs 99 lakh for operating flight with unqualified pilots

Regulator says incident in July had 'significant safety ramifications'