NEW DELHI: In order to regulate airside activities, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued detailed checklists comprising over 80 items of inspection. DGCA has said that operators will have to comply with the set standards given in the checklist.
The recent checklist has been prepared in the backdrop of many ground incidents at airports in the Country. DGCA has said that as Indian Airports are getting busier in view of the exponential growth in Civil Aviation, the number of ground incidents at Indian Airports involving aircraft have also increased.
Since January 2019, at Delhi Airport, seven such ground incidents have been reported involving various aircraft.
In two cases, engines of the aircraft were hit by Ground Power Unit, in one case by a ladder and in another case by a toilet cart.
In Hyderabad, Chennai, Trichy. Cochin, Tirupati, Rajkot, similar incidents have been reported.
The aviation regulator has said that audits of airside activities will be conducted quarterly level.
To regulate the movement of the vehicle in the airside, the checks include the fitness of drivers and their knowledge of the geography of the aerodrome, aerodrome signs, marking, lighting, radiotelephony operating procedures, terms and phrases used in airside operations. Equipment and the training of the employees working at airside.
The checklist also includes aircraft turnaround and general safety procedures such as aircraft fuelling and handling of arrival and departure of the aircraft.
Increasing oversight
In the past, an aircraft in Mumbai was hit by a ground tractor, another by an empty container trolley and the third by a flying container because of the strong winds and it was not properly tied.