Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s surprise checks on the operations of key players in the aviation sector such as airlines, airports and aircraft maintenance companies have exposed serious systemic slackness within India’s aviation ecosystem
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s surprise checks on the operations of key players in the aviation sector such as airlines, airports and aircraft maintenance companies have exposed serious systemic slackness within India’s aviation ecosystem. Its findings paint a profoundly unsettling picture, which include repeated maintenance lapses, unserviceable ground equipment and outdated safety infrastructure, such as worn tyres and unsecured life vests. In the aviation sector, every operational aspect could directly affect the safety of passengers, and this level of negligence is criminal and indefensible. As shown in Air India’s Boeing Dreamliner crash, even a momentary oversight by airport authorities could cost several hundreds of lives. However, if the slackness in the aviation sector is so pervasive, the safety of air travellers would be at a grave risk. While the DGCA’s decision to conduct surprise audits is commendable, the practice should not be sporadic and must be institutionalised. It must form the backbone of a continuously evolving safety culture. It should learn from best practices adopted globally. It should introduce real-time digital tracking of maintenance issues through a centralised logbook system that ensures no defect is overlooked. Ground safety, which has long been neglected, must be prioritised. Infrastructure audits should be conducted through drone surveys and GIS mapping.
India needs a truly independent and empowered air safety body, which is free of government or airline influence. Instead of recruiting only process- focused bureaucrats, the regulator body should hire people who are technologically updated and who do not treat fliers as mere numbers. Thanks to an aspiring population and the world’s largest middle class, India’s aviation sector has a great growth potential. However, the growth cannot come at the cost of passenger safety. The skies must be kept safe — by choice and not by chance.
