Page 5 - Dgca

Domestic air traffic drops 2.94% to 12.6 mn passengers in July: DGCA

Domestic air passenger traffic declined 2.94 per cent year-on-year to 1.26 crore in July, according to official data released on Wednesday. The fall in air passenger traffic also came against the backdrop of the fatal Air India Ahmedabad-London Gatwick plane crash on June 12 in which 260 people were killed. Indian carriers had flown 1.29 crore passengers in July 2024 on domestic routes, as per the data posted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on its website. On a sequential basis, Air India Group lost 1 per cent market share during the month under review at 33.08 lakh passengers against 33.08 lakh carried by the airline in June. Air India had in the last week of June announced a 5 per cent reduction in the domestic capacity to carry out comprehensive checks on its fleet. On the contrary, market leader IndiGo, increased its market share to 65.2 per cent from 64.5 per cent in overall traffic, though on a month-on-month basis the Gurugram-based carrier flew fewer ..

DGCA staffing crisis a threat to aviation safety system: Parl panel

A Parliamentary panel on Wednesday suggested a time-bound plan to grant administrative as well as financial autonomy to DGCA and flagged that the staffing crisis at the regulator is an "existential threat to the integrity of India's aviation safety system". Besides, the committee said the current imbalance, where aircraft induction is outpacing airport growth, is putting unsustainable pressure on existing facilities, degrading service quality, and dangerously straining safety margins, as it pitched for developing a comprehensive National Capacity Alignment Plan to synchronise airport infrastructure development with airline fleet induction schedules. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture -- headed by Rajya Sabha member and JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha -- submitted its report on the 'Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector' on Wednesday. One of the recommendations is to establish a time-bound mechanism for the closure

SC seeks response from Centre, DGCA over series of helicopter crashes

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Centre among others on a plea over a series of helicopter crashes, particularly in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Uttarakhand government, among others, on the plea. "The concern is over a series of helicopter crashes that have taken place, particularly towards Kedarnath," the petitioners' counsel said. The bench posted the matter after four weeks. On June 15, a helicopter carrying pilgrims from the Kedarnath shrine crashed in the forests of Gaurikund amid poor visibility, killing all seven people on board, the fifth helicopter accident on the Chardham Yatra route since the pilgrimage started on April 30. The seven casualties included a two-year-old child and the pilot, who were on board the helicopter, operated by a private firm. The civil aviation ministry said it has suspended the operations

DGCA issues warning letter to Air India, seeks stricter compliance

Campbell, who is the CEO and MD, is also the Accountable Manager of the Tata Group-owned airline

DGCA issues show cause notice to IndiGo over simulator training lapses

Aviation regulator DGCA has issued a show cause notice to IndiGo for alleged lapses in simulator training conducted for nearly 1,700 pilots, according to sources. The sources on Tuesday said the show cause notice was issued after scrutiny of records and replies received from the airline last month. There was no immediate comment from IndiGo. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found that Category C or critical airfield training for around 1,700 pilots, including pilots in command and first officers, was conducted with non-qualified simulators, the sources said. The sources also said the regulator found that the simulators on which the nearly 1,700 pilots did their training were not qualified for operations at certain airports like Calicut, Leh, and Kathmandu. Certain airports like Calicut, which has a table top runway, have additional requirements for flight operations.

Severe weather, delayed re-routing likely caused May IndiGo incident: DGCA

Severe weather and non-timely action in re-routing the aircraft clear of weather were the probable causes that led to IndiGo's Delhi-Srinagar flight incident where the aircraft's nose radome was damaged on May 21, according to the probe findings by aviation regulator DGCA. On May 21, IndiGo's A321 neo aircraft VT-IMD while operating flight 6E-2142 from Delhi to Srinagar encountered severe weather, including hail, during cruise. After landing in Srinagar, the aircraft radome was found damaged, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The incident was investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). "The investigation has revealed that severe weather existing en-route and non-timely action in re-routing the aircraft clear of weather was the probable cause of the occurrence," the minister said in a written reply. On May 23, two days after the incident, DGCA had said IndiGo flight crew initially attempted to return but as the

DGCA sets up expert panel to plan multi-crew pilot licence in India

Unlike current CPL training, MPL focuses on airline-specific, simulator-led, multi-crew operations from the outset through integrated airline partnerships

DGCA suspends Akasa Air examiner for six months over skill test lapses

DGCA suspends Akasa Air's Captain Kunal Khajuria for six months for procedural violations during a pilot skill test; retest ordered and examiner training mandated

Air India: DGCA audit flags 51 safety lapses, training, and crew gaps

DGCA audit finds 51 safety issues at Air India, including poor pilot training, unauthorised simulators, and rostering flaws. Tata-owned airline under scrutiny after recent fatal crash

FAA finds no fuel system fault in Air India Dreamliner crash probe

US aviation regulator rules out mechanical failure in June 12 Air India 787 crash that killed 260 people, as probe continues into cause of fuel cutoff

Indian airlines reported 183 aircraft defects till July 21: Govt

Five Indian airlines reported 183 technical defects in their aircraft to the aviation regulator DGCA this year till July 21, including 85 by Air India Group, according to the government. IndiGo and Akasa Air reported 62 and 28 technical defects, respectively, while SpiceJet reported 8 defects, as per data shared by the civil aviation ministry in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Air India and Air India Express together reported 85 technical defects, respectively. All the figures are for this year till July 21. In 2024, the number of technical defects reported stood at 421, lower than 448 reported in 2023. In 2022, the count of technical defects reported stood at 528. The figures for these three years also include those of Alliance Air and erstwhile Vistara. In 2021, the number of technical defects reported in aircraft was 514. At that time, Akasa Air had not started operations. "All defects reported by the airline to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) a

'Serious' safety violations: DGCA issues 4 show cause notices to Air India

The DGCA issues four show-cause notices to Air India for safety violations, including cabin crew deployment lapses and training deficiencies, following multiple incidents

DGCA issues 4 show cause notices to Air India over safety, training lapses

The aviation regulator acted after Air India reported multiple safety violations, including breaches in cabin crew rest rules, flight duty hours, and training procedures

No issues found in fuel switches in its Boeing 737 MAX planes: Akasa Air

Akasa Air has completed the checks on the fuel switches of its Boeing 737 MAX planes and there were no adverse findings, a senior airline executive said on Tuesday. The airline has a fleet of 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. A total of 196 such aircraft are to be delivered to the carrier in the coming years. Last week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes by July 21. The direction came after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said in its preliminary report that fuel switches were cut off before the Air India plane crash last month. Akasa Air's Chief Financial Officer Ankur Goel said the airline complies with whatever requirements that continue to come either from Boeing as a manufacturer or from the DGCA as a safety regulator. "The inspection has been done. We have reported our findings to the DGCA. Very happy to say that no adverse findings found on the switches at

76% flyers say airlines prioritise publicity over passenger safety: Survey

A majority of airline passengers believe carriers prioritise publicity over safety, while 64% report rough flights in 3 years, raising serious concerns over aviation safety and regulatory oversight

Air India completes checks on Boeing 787, 737 aircraft, says no issue found

Following the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, Air India completed checks on fuel control switch locking systems and found no faults in its fleet

Over 4,200 posts vacant in DGCA, BCAS, AAI; functioning unaffected: Govt

As many as 4,291 positions are lying vacant at aviation regulators DGCA and BCAS as well as at state-owned Airports Authority of India but the shortfall has not impacted the functioning of these organisations, the government said on Monday. Many posts were also created in recent times at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and AAI. Nearly 50 per cent or 823 sanctioned positions at DGCA are lying vacant while 441 posts, including 426 technical positions, were created between 2022 and 2024, raising the total technical posts at the regulator to 1,063, as per the official data. In 2024, 84 operational posts were created during restructuring of BCAS, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha. At AAI, 840 posts of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) were created recently. Details about the sanctioned posts at BCAS and AAI could not be immediately ascertained. "Keeping in view the current and future expans

Air India issued 9 show cause notices in 6 months over safety lapses: Govt

The government issued nine show-cause notices to Air India for safety violations in the last six months, with enforcement action taken in one case, the civil aviation minister informed Rajya Sabha

DGCA removes window shade advisory, photography ban remains at IAF airports

The DGCA emphasised on Saturday that the prohibition on aerial and ground photography continues to apply to all aircraft operations at IAF Joint User Airports (JUAs)

UK aviation regulator backs Boeing, says no safety concerns found

UK Civil Aviation Authority echoes FAA, says Boeing aircraft pose no safety risk as India and South Korea mandate inspections after AI171 crash findings