DGCA Archives - Defence Monitor

07 Apr

DGCA eases duty time rules for pilots as global routes turn longer amid Iran war

New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has temporarily allowed airlines to extend flight duty time for pilots on long-haul flights as planes have to take longer routes on international flights due to the Iran war, a senior official of the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Tuesday. The easing of the pilot flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norm has been permitted as airlines were facing problems due to the longer flying hours that are now required for flights, as the Middle East countries have shut airspace, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Asangba Chuba Ao…

23 Apr

Ensure children below 12 are seated with their parents: DGCA to airlines

New Delhi, April 23, The aviation watchdog DGCA on Tuesday issued a circular asking all airlines to ensure children up to the age of 12 years are seated with their parents. The DGCA has revised the Air Transport Circular (ATC)-01 of 2024, titled ‘Unbundle of Services and fees by scheduled airlines’, introducing several changes aimed at enhancing passenger experience and addressing concerns regarding seating arrangements, particularly for children. Under the revised circular, airlines are now permitted to offer unbundled services such as zero baggage, preferential seating, meals/snacks/drink charges, and charges for the carriage of musical instruments. These services will be…

29 Feb

DGCA implements stricter guidelines for alcohol testing of aviation staff

New Delhi, Feb 29, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has recently announced significant revisions to norms pertaining to the procedure for breath-analyser examination of personnel engaged in safety-sensitive roles within the aviation industry. This move comes as part of ongoing efforts to bolster safety protocols amid the escalating air traffic and ground movements at airports nationwide. According to DCGA, under the revised the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section-5, Series-F, Part-IV, several key amendments have been introduced to strengthen the efficacy of alcohol detection measures in critical aviation operations, including aircraft maintenance, air traffic control services, aerodrome operations, and…

17 Jan

HAL to showcase its indigenous civil platforms at Wings India

Hyderabad, Jan 17, Aerospace and Defence equipment maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will showcase its indigenous civil platforms, Hindustan-228 aircraft and ALH Dhruv upgraded civil helicopter during Wings India 2024, beginning January 18 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. During the four-day event, HAL stall will display scale models of LUH (civil variant), Hindustan-228, ALH (civil variant), Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) and accessories pertaining to civil aircraft. It will hold business meetings with OEMs and customers besides signing agreements with its business partners for various projects. "HAL is propelling the initiative of 'Made in India' fixed wing civil aircraft to boost regional…

29 Aug

IndiGo flight safely lands at Mumbai airport after engine shutdown

New Delhi, Aug 29, An IndiGo flight from Madurai landed safely at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday despite one of the aircraft's engines shutting down. Given that twin-engine planes can safely operate on a single engine, the Airbus A321 safely landed in Mumbai. “IndiGo flight 6E-2012 operating from Madurai to Mumbai had a technical issue prior to landing in Mumbai. The pilot prioritised the landing in Mumbai. The aircraft is held at Mumbai and will be back in operations after necessary maintenance. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” said the airline spokesperson. Tuesday's development comes after the aviation…

22 May

Go First Gone: 11th private airline to ‘drop’ out of skies in a decade

Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) The tottering Indian aviation sector hit fresh turbulence when early this month, another flourishing private airline was suddenly grounded owing to various problems, making it the 11th in a decade to �fall from the skies. Throwing their hands up, the Go First budget airline's owners -- the Wadia Group -- filed voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) sending shockwaves through the entire airline industry. Go First was plagued by a peculiar problem -- the purported failure of the jet engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney, USA, to supply engines/spares for its aircraft that…

22 May

SpiceJet insolvency row: DGCA’s early warnings reveal brewing trouble

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) As the insolvency issue of SpiceJet heats up, prior red-flagging to the company by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had pointed out long awaited trouble for the aviation giant. Last year itself the DGCA had warned the airline after noticing various anomalies regarding its service. "Financial assessment carried out by DGCA revealed SpiceJet is operating on cash and carry and suppliers/approved vendors are not being paid on regular basis leading to the shortage of spares and frequent invoking of minimum equipment list (MEL)... it was deduced SpiceJet failed to establish a safe, efficient and…

17 May

Several passengers injured after Air India Delhi-Sydney flight encounters severe turbulence

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Passengers on board a routine Air India flight from Delhi to Sydney suffered injuries after the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. Fortunately, none of the injured passengers required hospitalisation, and all of them received immediate medical attention upon landing at the Sydney airport. The incident occurred on Tuesday when the flight AAI-302 suddenly encountered a zone of turbulent weather, a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said here on Wednesday. Several passengers suffered minor injuries, including cuts, bruises and sprains, as a result of the severe turbulence. According to DGCA officials, cabin crew members swiftly…

23 Feb

Air India to bring back passengers, crew of flight diverted to Stockholm

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Air India has finalised the itinerary of a ferry flight to bring back the passengers and crew of a Newark-Delhi flight which was diverted to Stockholm due to an oil leak. "A B777 will fly from Mumbai to Stockholm at 2 p.m. on Thursday and reach Stockholm at 11 p.m. The flight with passengers will take off at 1 a.m. on Friday an will reach Delhi at 8 a.m. in the morning," said the airline spokesperson on Thursday. Flight AAI106, a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, made an emergency landing in the Swedish capital on Wednesday. It was…

22 Feb

Newark-Delhi Air India flight diverted to Stockholm after oil leak

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) A Delhi-bound Air India flight from the Newark airport in New Jersey with nearly 300 passengers on board, was diverted to Stockholm following an oil leak. Flight AAI106, a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, made an emergency landing in the Swedish capital on Wednesday, following which a large number of fire engines were stationed at the airport. Officials said that all the people on board the aircraft are safe. A senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said that during the ground inspection, oil was seen coming out from the drain mast of engine two and further…