DGCA’s bold Tuesday directive ushers in a new era of stringent oversight for non-scheduled flights, triggered by escalating accidents like the Chatra air ambulance tragedy killing seven and the prior Learjet crash associated with Ajit Pawar’s firm.
Post-meeting with operators, a transparency policy mandates website postings of aircraft longevity, maintenance timelines, and flyer proficiency, arming charter clients with vital intel.
Operator safety rankings will go live on DGCA’s platform, guiding public choice. CVR random audits amplify, fused with verifications of tracking data, fuel usage, and logbooks to sniff out deceptions.
Systemic fixes demand executive liability, not just pilot pins. Five-year license suspensions target duty overlimits and unsafe descents. Fines and shutdowns punish persistent offenders.
Elderly aircraft and transfer-in-progress ones draw focused surveillance. Proprietary MRO audits could compel external approvals for the deficient.
DGCA stresses judgment flaws over weather whims in crashes. Orders enforce live weather feeds, SOP sanctity, and training boosts in meteorology mastery and unpredictable scenario navigation.
SOP audits advance from Phase 1 completion to Phase 2, promising robust safeguards across non-scheduled aviation.