In the wake of the recent fatal crash involving Air India's Ahmedabad–London Gatwick flight that claimed 241 lives, India's aviation regulator DGCA has introduced a new, comprehensive audit mechanism aimed at strengthening the country's aviation safety architecture.
Traditionally, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has conducted regulatory and safety inspections in a compartmentalised manner, with separate directorates handling their respective domains. However, in a circular issued on June 19, the regulator announced a shift toward a more integrated and collaborative approach.
The DGCA said the special audit framework is designed to go beyond this siloed system and will examine aviation safety management systems (SMS), operational procedures, and regulatory compliance across all sectors.
360-degree safety evaluation
This newly implemented audit mechanism will generate a 360-degree evaluation of the entire aviation ecosystem—highlighting both areas of strength and aspects that require improvement.
It will apply to a wide range of stakeholders, including, scheduled, non-scheduled, and private air operators, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organisations, Approved Training Organisations (ATOs), Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), aerodrome operators, Ground Handling Agencies (GHAs)
Internationally aligned approach
The DGCA emphasised that this initiative adopts a risk-based, proactive methodology aimed at identifying systemic vulnerabilities, enhancing operational resilience, and ensuring strict compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), as well as national safety goals.
These special audits are in addition to the routine regulatory inspections conducted under the Annual Surveillance Programme.
Led by multi-disciplinary teams
Each audit will be conducted by a multi-disciplinary team, headed by a senior DGCA official (DDG or Director-level), and will include specialists from directorates such as Flight Standards, Air Safety, Airworthiness, Air Navigation, Licensing, and Aerodrome Standards.
(With PTI inputs)