NEW DELHI: India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Wednesday said it has detected 263 lapses during its annual audit of eight airlines over the past year, including 19 serious violations and 244 minor ones.
Data along with an official statement released by DGCA, reveals that Tata-SIA Airlines (a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines) tops in Level-1 breaches (serious in nature) with 10 committed, while Air India follows with 7 violations, and Air India Express with 2 of them.
Alliance Air tops the defaulter list in the Level-2 breaches (minor ones) with 57, Air India follows it with 44, and Ghodawat Star (a regional airline based in Bengaluru with a focus on smaller towns and cities) stands third with 41 violations. Quickjet was involved in 35 breaches, Indigo and Air India Express had 23 each, while Spicejet had 14 breaches, and Tata-SIA Airlines had 7.
The release did not specify the exact 12-month period involved but merely said the last year. It said these audits are essential instruments for potential improvements.
"Based on ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) requirements and global best practices, these audits are needed to enhance the safety of operations and ensure compliance, and continuous improvement across all facets of airline operations," it said. It is done as per the Annual Surveillance Plan (ASP) under the Safety Oversight Programme.
The regulator stressed that airlines with extensive operations and large fleet sizes will generally have a higher number of audit findings. This is a global phenomenon.
"The quantum and scale of their activities mean that such observations reflect the breadth and depth of their operations rather than any unusual lapse. Globally, aviation regulators routinely encounter similar patterns with major carriers due to the diversity and intensity of their undertakings," the statement stressed.
Upon completion of each audit, the relevant airlines are formally notified and are required to submit timely compliance and corrective action taken reports. The DGCA closely monitors these responses and ensures that all necessary measures are taken to maintain and enhance safety standards, it added.