Indian aviation ecosystem under the lens: DGCA orders 'comprehensive special audit'
DGCA
NEW DELHI: Jolted by the tragic crashes of Air India flight 171 and multiple helicopters in Uttrakhand within the last one month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a 'comprehensive special audit' of Indian aviation ecosystem.
This covers scheduled, non-scheduled, and private airlines; maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) organisations; approved training organisations (ATOs); flying schools; air navigation service provider; airport operators, and ground handling agencies (GHAs).
The audit will focus on 'examining the safety management systems (SMS), operational practices, and regulatory adherence across all aviation domains.'
It will also audit 'supporting elements such as technology providers, emergency response systems, supply chain networks, and regulatory coordination bodies.'
Air safety expert Amit Singh said: 'DGCA has been auditing aviation since time immemorial. Wouldn't it be prudent to invite a third party to audit and why (have past) DGCA audits failed to reign in safety?'
Same was the reaction of several others in the industry who have seen multiple audits, enhanced surveillances in the past.
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Also, for several years, the frail financial health of many aviation ecosystem players — specially airlines — has been a key vulnerability and the resolution for this is beyond the DGCA's scope. 'Very often in the last 2-3 decades such weak players (many of who have now shut shop) have warned authorities they will shut down if forced to dot all Is and cross all Ts which will affect connectivity,' said industry insiders.
"Hopefully the recent crashes will change things."
The audit order issued by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai says: 'Traditionally, regulatory and safety oversight functions within Indian aviation have been conducted in silos, with different directorates performing inspections and audits specific to their respective domains. These activities include planned/unplanned surveillance inspections, random spot checks and ramp inspections, which primarily assess compliance and safety within individual aviation segments.
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'In a significant paradigm shift, the comprehensive special audit is designed to transcend existing siloed assessments by evaluating the aviation ecosystem holistically…. The goal is to generate a 360-degree evaluation of the aviation ecosystem, reflecting both its strengths and areas needing improvement. These special audits will be over and above the regulatory audits carried out as per the annual surveillance programme,' Kidwai's order says.
The special audits will be conducted by multidisciplinary teams led by a senior DGCA official (DDG/director) as the lead auditor, supported by specialists from flight standards, air safety, airworthiness, airspace & air navigation services, licensing, and aerodrome standards directorates. 'Whenever necessary, external experts from industry may be included to provide specialised insights. This diverse team composition ensures a comprehensive evaluation that leverages both regulatory expertise and industry-specific knowledge, fostering credible and actionable findings,' the order says.
Once the audit is over, the findings will be shared with the audited entities. They, in turn, will need to submit a corrective action plan (CAP) within 15 days.
'DGCA will monitor CAP implementation through progress reviews and verification audits, ensuring effective resolution of findings…. Non-compliance with audit findings or failure to implement CAPs may result in progressive enforcement actions, including advisory guidance, formal warnings, operational restrictions, financial penalty, suspension, or revocation of licenses… Enforcement decisions will consider public safety, compliance history, and entity cooperation, ensuring fairness and proportionality/natural justice,' the order says.
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