DGCA tightens safety norms for non-scheduled operators after recent chopper crashes

The move comes in the wake of recent fatal incidents, including a Red Bird Airways air ambulance crash in Jharkhand on Monday, which killed all seven on board, and a January crash in Maharashtra’s Baramati involving a VSR Ventures aircraft, which claimed the lives of all passengers, including NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

Key Safety Concerns

A review of the past decade of NSOP operations highlighted the primary causes of accidents:

• Non-adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Inadequate flight planning
• Training deficiencies

The regulator emphasised that safety must always take precedence over commercial interests, including charter commitments and VIP movements.

DGCA reaffirmed that pilots-in-command have the final authority to divert, delay, or cancel flights for safety reasons without facing commercial consequences.

New Measures for NSOPs

The DGCA’s new mandates include:

• Public disclosure of safety-critical information, such as aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience
• Introduction of a safety ranking system for all NSOPs, to be published on the DGCA website
• Intensified audits, including random cockpit voice recorder (CVR) checks, fuel records, and technical log verification
• Personal accountability of senior management for systemic non-compliance
• Stricter penalties for violations of flight duty time limitations (FDTL) and unsafe landing practices, including pilot licence suspensions of up to five years and potential suspension of operator licences
• Enhanced monitoring of older aircraft, operators undergoing ownership changes, and those without in-house maintenance, which must now use approved MRO facilities
• Mandatory recurrent pilot training, with a focus on weather awareness and decision-making in uncontrolled environments

Phase-1 of a special DGCA safety audit of NSOPs is nearing completion, with Phase-2 scheduled for early March.

A physical safety workshop will follow the audits to align all operators with the new operational requirements.

The DGCA’s comprehensive approach aims to reduce accidents, improve operational transparency, and hold operators accountable, addressing a sector that has seen multiple recent tragedies, including in the high-risk Char Dham region.