Amid spate of trainer aircraft accidents, DGCA orders special safety audit of flying schools | Business News
Following a spate of accidents involving trainer aircraft in recent months, aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Thursday announced a comprehensive special safety audit of all flying training organisations (FTOs), or flying schools, across the country. The special audit will be completed in three phases between September and November.
“This audit aims to thoroughly assess the safety standards, operational procedures, and systemic deficiencies within flying training organisations to ensure the highest levels of safety and compliance,” the DGCA said. The last such special audit was conducted two years ago.
“This initiative follows a series of recent training aircraft incidents that have sparked concerns regarding the compliance of the training organisations with respect to the established aviation regulations and safety protocols…The special safety audit aims to enforce corrective measures where necessary, enhancing the overall safety and effectiveness of flight training in India,” the regulator added.
In 2022, there were eight incidents involving aircraft of FTOs. The following year, too, saw a similar number of incidents. So far this year, there have been at least five incidents.
The special safety audit will scrutinise each FTO’s adherence to the DGCA’s regulatory standards, including aircraft maintenance, airworthiness, and training operations.
This safety audit will be focussed on various aspects of an FTO’s operations, including training curriculum, flying training imparted to student pilots, and the overall supervision and assessment mechanisms employed by the flying schools to ensure that trainees meet the required standards of proficiency before being certified to fly independently.
“As the regulator, we are willing to guide and handhold the FTOs if there is any challenge or lack of expertise that they are genuinely facing. But a lack of intent will not be tolerated,” said a DGCA official.
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The audit will also take a close look at the operational oversight and maintenance protocols of the trainer aircraft being used by the FTOs in order to ensure that all such planes are maintained “to the highest standards, with no compromises on safety”.
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