DGCA introduces a complete safety audit to improve Indian aviation safety

To enhance aviation safety, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a Comprehensive Safety Audit. The program will analyze the safety, efficiency of operations and regulatory compliances at the entire aviation industry. This is amidst the tragic airline crash of Air India flight AI-171 that took place on June 12 and killed 241 people on board. The audit will no longer rely on the conventional overseeing process and that it will also include a more comprehensive review in order to overcome systemic weaknesses. The new structure is also in accordance with the standards kept by ICAO and goals of aviation in India.

Context

• In a bid to enhance aviation safety, DGCA has come up with a new Comprehensive Safety Audit, that has the capacity to enforce safety management systems and operations practices. 

• The audit is meant to be proactive to identify the weakness and make improvements in the aviation standards of India.

Key Developments

Target of the Comprehensive Safety Audit:

• The new structure of the audit by the DGCA is aimed at giving the whole picture of the aviation industry.

• It will measure and assess safety, operating efficiency and regulatory compliance within the industry.

• It seeks to determine the systemic weaknesses and enhance resilience of the operations in the field of aviation.

Safety Focus After the Crash:

• The audit is based on the fatal crash of an Air India flight AI-171 on June 12, the importance of the safety practices re-evaluation.

• It is expected to exclude future catastrophes, so that it is more determined to obey demands of ICAO, which are Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

Paradigm Shift in the Audit Framework:

• The classical role in oversight was usually isolated, with each of the directorates carrying out their own inspection.

• The Comprehensive Special Audit is meant to cut across the borders of these silos to bring forth a 360 review of the whole of the aviation system.

Multicultural Perspective of Auditing:

• Senior DGCA officials will head the teams and be assisted by key officials of various fields like the Flight Standards, Air Safety, Airworthiness etc.

• The audit will entail surprise visits to the facilities, site visits, and well-designed interviews with the management and operational personalities.

• Trend analysis of the data will also add as an important aspect of the process in order to detect the underlying safety problems.

Audits Trigger Mechanism:

• Significant events like critical safety incidents or a violation of regulatory requirements, or operational disruption may trigger special audits.

• This will make the system changeable in real time to the risks that are emerging.

Adherence to Global Standards:

• The project reflects how India is taking its place in terms of global aviation practice and the development of an aviation environment on a world scale.

Conclusion

The Comprehensive Safety Audit conducted by the DGCA is a positive measure towards dealing with the issue of systemic safety in India aviation business. The initiative has its focus on making the aviation industry stronger, compliant, and more effective and will be achieved by implementing multidisciplinary audits in addition to the usual safety checks. This will not only assist in enhancing the safety standards of the country but also harmonize the Indian aviation system according to the international standards.