'Carrying explosives without declaring': DGCA warns Turkish Airlines to follow rules after surprise checks of its flights
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NEW DELHI: India has warned Turkish Airlines to comply with all rules after a surprise inspection of its aircraft at four airports over the last one week revealed lapses, including the alleged carriage of explosives without disclosing the same on one flight.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had conducted 'safety oversight and ramp (SOFA/RAMP)' inspections of the airline's passenger and cargo flights at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru from May 29 to June 2, 2025. The operations of Turkish to India will be under the lens as the regulator says it will conduct flow-up inspections 'as necessary to ensure continuous safety oversight.'
The key lapses found during this surprise 'surveillance of foreign (Turkish) aircraft' include: 'The cargo contained dangerous goods for which permission is required from DGCA for carriage of explosives to/from over India.
This was not found to be attached, nor was it mentioned in the dangerous goods declaration,' according to an aviation ministry statement.
The other findings include: 'At Bengaluru, the marshaller handling ground operations lacked proper authorisation and a valid competency card for marshalling functions. During the arrival of aircraft, the aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) was unavailable, and the arrival procedure was carried out by a technician instead.
Airworks is the authorised engineering service provider for Turkish Airlines,' it added.
The check revealed there was no 'service level agreement in place between Turkish Airlines and its ground handling agent (GHA). Equipment such as ladders, step ladders, trolleys and ground power units (GPUs) lacked proper accountability and monitoring at Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where Globe Ground India was providing ground services without formal handover from Celebi,' the ministry statement said.
'The DGCA emphasises its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and regulatory compliance of all foreign operators within Indian airspace. Turkish Airlines has been directed to address these findings promptly and ensure full compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices as well as DGCA regulations. Further follow-up inspections will be conducted as necessary to ensure continuous safety oversight.
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Senior officials say the checks were conducted on Turkish Airlines aircraft operated by the airline and not the two Boeing 777s wet-leased (hired with crew) by IndiGo from it. Turkish and IndiGo each operate a daily passenger flight between Delhi & Istanbul and Mumbai & Istanbul.
Following Turkey's support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and the firing of Turkish drones by Pakistan, New Delhi is reviewing its ties with Istanbul. The security clearance of Turkish ground handler Celebi was withdrawn last month and it had to wind up activities from nine Indian airports. Then the DGCA asked IndiGo to wrap up its wet lease of two Boeing 777s from Turkish by Aug 31, 2025, by giving a 'last and final three-month extension.
' This final extension was given after getting an 'undertaking from (IndiGo) that they will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airlines within this extension period, and not seek any further extension for these operations.'
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