Aviation watchdog tightens norms for charter operators after string of accidents
India Today
In the wake of two air accidents within a month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has introduced a series of stringent measures for Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) holders.
Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots as it announced a slew of strict safety measures for non-scheduled flight operators (NSOPs), including mandatory public disclosures of aircraft maintenance history and a safety ranking mechanism, in the wake of recent plane crashes.
The move comes after two accidents within a month involving aircraft operated by non-scheduled operators. A day after a plane operated by an NSOP crashed in Jharkhand, killing seven people onboard, the regulator held a high-level meeting with all such operators. On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others had died in a plane crash near Baramati.
The meeting was convened to “address a recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasised the critical need for an increased focus on safety across the sector,” the DGCA said in a statement.
“Safety must remain the absolute priority, superseding all commercial considerations, charter commitments or VIP movements. The authority asserted that an organisation's leadership must prioritise safety above all other criteria,” the statement said.
Reaffirming operational autonomy, the regulator said 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.
In a significant push towards transparency, NSOP operators will now be required to disclose critical safety information on their websites, including aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience. The step is aimed at ensuring that customers are fully informed about the standards of the aircraft they charter.
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