DGCA announces new stringent safety mandates; NSOPs to disclose critical info on websites, safety ranking on anvil

New Delhi [India], February 24 (ANI): Directorate General of Civil Aviation held a high-level meeting on Tuesday with all Non-Scheduled Operators (NSOPs) to address a recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasised prioritizing safety over commercial interests while affirming that the pilot-in-command's decision to divert delay or cancel a fight for safety reasons is final and must be respected by operators without commercial considerations.
The aviation regulator announced new stringent safety mandates following High-Level meeting with non-scheduled operators.
There have been two air accidents in less than a month involving small aircraft.
DGCA emphasised the critical need for an increased focus on safety across the sector.
A release said that the high-level interaction followed 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 regulator has announced a set of new measures "aimed at enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward safety compromises within the NSOP sector".
"The regulator emphasised that safety must remain the absolute priority, superseding all commercial considerations, charter commitments, or VIP movements. The authority asserted that an organisation's leadership must prioritize safety above all other criteria," the release said.
"To support this, the authority reaffirmed that the Pilot-in-Command's decision to divert, delay, or cancel a flight for safety reasons is final and must be respected by operators without commercial consequences," it added.
The release said that to address systemic weaknesses in decision-making and to ensure operational discipline, the regulator is implementing several immediate measures including Mandatory Public Disclosures, Safety Ranking, Intensive Audits, Management Responsibility, Stricter Penalties and Maintenance Scrutiny.
In a significant move toward transparency, the regulator 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," the release said.
It said that the regulator is planning to implement a safety ranking mechanism of all non-scheduled operators and the criteria for such ranking. Safety rankings will be published on the DGCA website for public information.
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.
The release said that accountable managers and senior leadership will be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances noting that safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots.
The DGCA said that pilots found violating Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) or attempting to land below safety minima may face license suspensions of up to five years.
Operators failing to meet compliance standards will be penalised and licenses or permits may be suspended, it said.
The release said that increased monitoring will be applied to older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes.
The regulator will audit NSOPs that run their own Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities; those found lacking adequacy 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 the unpredictability of weather.
"Operators are mandated to establish real-time weather update systems and strict compliance of established SOPs. Additionally, recurrent training for pilots must have greater emphasis on weather awareness strategies and decision-making in uncontrolled environments," the release said.
After the completion of phase 1 of the special safety audit of NSOPs in early March 2026, Phase 2 covering the rest of the NSOPs will be undertaken.
"Additionally, a physical workshop on safety will be convened following the completion of current intensive audits to ensure all stakeholders are aligned with these new operational mandates," the release said.
There has been concern over two air accidents in less than a month involving small aircraft.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar died on the morning of January 28 after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airport in Pune district. Five people were killed in the accident.
An aircraft, which was on a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi, crashed on Monday evening in Jharkhand killing seven people. (ANI)