DGCA finds "many gaps" in special safety review of Delhi, Mumbai airports

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced on Tuesday that its special safety review of India's airports has uncovered numerous deficiencies, including recurring aircraft defects and non-compliance with maintenance protocols. This comprehensive surveillance, aimed at bolstering aviation safety, commenced with in-depth inspections at major hubs like Delhi and Mumbai airports, with similar reviews planned for Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Conducted by two teams from the Joint Director General (JDG) of DGCA during night and early morning hours, the audit scrutinized critical areas such as flight operations, airworthiness, ramp safety, air traffic control (ATC), communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) systems, and pre-flight medical evaluations. The DGCA stated that findings revealed multiple instances where reported defects frequently reappeared on aircraft, indicating "ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification action on repeated defects."

Specific issues communicated to airport operators, requiring corrective action within seven days, included Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) not addressing snags, unrecorded defect reports from aircraft systems in technical logbooks, and improperly secured life vests. Furthermore, the audit exposed problems with unserviceable ground handling equipment, neglected line maintenance stores, and disregarded tool control procedures. In a notable instance, the Cabin Defect Log (CDL) of an Air India aircraft for a Delhi-Kochi flight was missing, causing a delay until a new one was issued.

Beyond aircraft and maintenance, the DGCA's surveillance also highlighted infrastructure and procedural lapses. At one airport, the runway centerline marking was faded, rapid exit taxiway and green center lights were not unidirectional, and obstruction limitation data remained unupdated for three years despite new constructions. Numerous vehicles in the ramp area were found operating without speed governors, leading to their withdrawal and the suspension of drivers' permits. Additionally, a flight simulator was found to not match aircraft configuration with outdated software, and a domestic flight was delayed due to worn tires, underscoring systemic concerns requiring immediate rectification.