DGCA: If we fail the audit then flights will be stopped, rules will be cancelled, DGCA will take big action, there will be strict investigation..

Parliament was informed on Monday that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has conducted 171 regulatory audits from 2020 to June 2025 to ensure safety in India's civil aviation sector. A total of two incidents of turbulence and 10 incidents of emergency landing due to technical fault have been reported from January 2024 to date, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

Mayday call was made.

Air India's Boeing aircraft VT-ANB declared "Mayday (an internationally recognised distress call, used by pilots and seafarers through radio communication in an extreme emergency where the aircraft is in immediate danger) on June 12, 2025, and eventually crashed. The minister said that pilot training in India is governed by existing rules specified under various Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) and Operational Circulars, which are in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Global Best Practices.

Civil aviation rules established for maintenance
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has established civil aviation rules to ensure safe operation and maintenance of aircraft. These rules are constantly updated and made in line with international standards, including those of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The minister said that the DGCA keeps amending its rules from time to time according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

Special audits were ordered.
The minister also said that India has ratified the Montreal Convention, 1999, by amending the Air Transport Act, 1972, in 2009, which, among other things, provides for the responsibilities of carriers to compensate in the event of death, delay, damage, or loss of a person, baggage, or cargo during international transport. Meanwhile, the DGCA has also ordered a new set of comprehensive special audits to enhance safety after the country's civil aviation sector suffered a setback following the tragic Air India accident in Ahmedabad.

There will be stringent penalties for non-compliance
The audit framework will cover the entire range of aviation entities, including scheduled and non-scheduled airlines, maintenance, repair, and overhaul organisations (MROs), flight training schools, air navigation service providers, airport operators, and ground handling agencies. The audit framework will be in addition to the regulatory audits being conducted as per the annual monitoring programme. There will be even more stringent penalties for non-compliance, including airlines grounding the flight.

The process will be completed in three phases.
The audit framework process will be completed in three phases: a pre-audit phase of five to seven days, an on-site audit of three to five days, and a post-audit period of ten to fifteen days for analysis and follow-up. Audited entities will have to submit corrective action plans within 15 days of receiving the findings. The DGCA will closely monitor the implementation of these plans. The regulator has deployed multi-disciplinary audit teams led by senior officials and supported by subject experts from various fields of aviation. These teams are conducting in-depth inspections. The main focus areas include safety management systems (SMS), operational efficiency, compliance with regulatory frameworks, and crew and resource management protocols.

The audit was conducted due to several reasons.
According to officials, the audit was conducted due to several factors, including aviation accidents, serious incidents, recurring non-compliance issues, and findings flagged by ICAO. Along with this, DGCA has clarified that non-compliance with audit recommendations may result in penalties like suspension of operations or cancellation of license in case of violation of safety norms.

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