The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday (February 24) introduced mandatory safety measures for non-scheduled operators following a high-level meeting that examined the recent increase in aviation incidents involving charter flights.
The regulator found that accidents in the sector were mainly due to not following standard procedures, poor flight planning, and gaps in training. In response, the DGCA has announced new rules that implement a strict zero-tolerance policy for safety issues.
“This high-level interaction follows a comprehensive review of accident data from the past decade, which identifies non-adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), inadequate flight planning, and training deficiencies as the primary causative factors in aircraft accidents,” the DGCA said in a statement.
New safety rules for Non-scheduled operators
Non-scheduled operators will now be required to publicly disclose safety information on their websites, including aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience. The DGCA will also publish a safety ranking mechanism for all charter operators on its website, allowing customers to assess operator standards before booking flights.
The DGCA plans to complete Phase 1 of a special safety audit of non-scheduled operators in early March 2026. Phase 2 will cover the remaining operators, followed by a physical workshop on safety after the completion of the current intensive audits.
What did DGCA say?
The regulator stated that safety must take precedence over commercial considerations, charter commitments, or VIP movements. Pilots will have the authority to divert, delay, or cancel flights for safety reasons without facing commercial consequences from their employers.
The regulator also said that it will conduct increased random audits of cockpit voice recorders and cross-verify data, fuel records, and technical logs to detect unauthorized deviations.
“Accountable managers and senior leadership will be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances, with the regulator stating that lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots,” the DGCA said.
Pilots who violate flight duty time limitations or attempt to land below safety minima will face license suspensions ranging up to five years. Operators failing to meet compliance standards will be penalized and may have their licenses suspended.
The DGCA also noted that weather-related accidents often result from poor judgment rather than the unpredictability of weather conditions. The regulator has told operators to establish real-time weather update systems and ensure strict compliance with established procedures.
The regulator will also apply increased monitoring to older aircraft and charter operators that run their own maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities, particularly those found lacking adequacy or evaluated as inadequate by overseas maintenance organizations.