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Aviation watchdog DGCA is carrying out the operational and financial scrutiny of budget carrier SpiceJet to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday. As SpiceJet grapples with multiple headwinds resulting in frequent flight delays and operational issues, Naidu also made it clear that the civil aviation ministry has limitations in intervening in the affairs of a private carrier. In July, the airline's domestic market share dropped to 1.6 per cent from 1.9 per cent in June, as per the latest official data. "The immediate activity in the ministry regarding SpiceJet is that we have operational and, to a certain extent, financial scrutiny also being done from the ministry through the DGCA because we don't want any lapse in safety," Naidu said. The minister was responding to a query regarding SpiceJet on the sidelines of signing pacts with states for the next phase of Udaan in the national capital. Naidu said the mini
Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) operating from Uttar Pradesh will not be permitted to undertake flying activities for three days during the BRICS Summit in Delhi as part of enhanced security measures, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In a communication to all FTOs, the DGCA said the restrictions would be in force from 7 am on September 11 to 11 pm on September 13 in view of the BRICS Summit-2026 being held in the national capital. The order specifically states that "no aircraft including light/micro-light aircraft, hang gliders, helicopters etc. is permitted to fly even to start from any FTO" located in Uttar Pradesh during the specified period. The restriction will also apply to FTOs located in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, according to the communication dated September 7. The DGCA said the restrictions were being imposed "in view of the BRICS Summit-2026" and were approved by the competent ...
Aviation regulator DGCA had flagged safety issues concerning Tecnam aircraft over a month before a Tecnam P2006T training aircraft crashed in Kanpur on August 27, killing a trainee pilot and an instructor. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had also issued safety recommendations to flying training organisations (FTOs) concerning the Tecnam aircraft and asked them to implement them with immediate effect. According to official communications accessed and reviewed by PTI, the DGCA had at least twice since 2025 flagged concerns over Tecnam planes, primarily used in India for flying training, with FTOs. The latest communication, dated July 10, 2026, circulated safety recommendations issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) following the May 12, 2022 crash of a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T, operated by FSTC Flying School Pvt Ltd, at Bhiwani in Haryana. In the email, the regulator advised FTOs to "avoid parking Tecnam aircraft on apron/tarmac for prolonged .
Aviation watchdog DGCA recorded 889 serious technical defects in flights compared to 692 such faults in 2024, according to official data. The number of serious defects recorded stood at 487 and 528 in 2023 and 2022, respectively. In 2021, the count was at 514. These figures were shared by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in the Lok Sabha, as part of a written reply on August 6. The minister was responding to queries by Congress member Shyamkumar Daulat Barve. According to Mohol, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has laid down Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), safety advisories, directives and other regulatory instructions to ensure safe aircraft operations. "For monitoring compliance, DGCA has a systematic safety oversight mechanism encompassing all aircraft and airport operators. "The safety oversight process includes regulatory audits, night surveillance, ramp inspections, spot checks and special audits. DGCA publishes the Annual Surveillanc
The government on Monday said that 352 significant technical defects were reported in domestic and international flight operations this year till June. Out of the total, 334 significant defects were related to domestic flight operations and the remaining pertained to international services, according to data provided by the civil aviation ministry to the Rajya Sabha. The data was provided by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in a written reply. As many as 334 defects were related to domestic services and 18 pertained to international flights. The minister did not disclose specific details about the defects. Among the 352 "significant defects" during the given period, 152 pertained to flight operations of Akasa Air, 53 related to Air India Express and 47 pertained to IndiGo flights, the data showed. In the case of Air India and SpiceJet, the number of such defects was 46 and 9, respectively. during their flight operations. As per the data, Star Air reported 29 .
A trainer aircraft crash-landed at a field in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday, and the trainee lady pilot who was operating the plane is reported to be safe, according to the aviation regulator DGCA. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating the incident. "Chetak Aviation Cessna 152 aircraft VT-AFB engaged in solo flying at Aligarh has crash landed in a field in Kasganj. She (pilot) is reported to be safe," the regulator said in a statement. Further details are awaited.