Events from mid-2025 to early 2026 exposed deeper systemic concerns for India's aviation safety architecture.
An Akasa Air and a SpiceJet plane collided on the taxiway at Delhi airport, resulting in both aircraft being grounded due to damage. The incident occurred at Terminal 1, with investigations underway.
The DGCA has issued new guidelines for aircraft operators flying VIPs and VVIPs, including chief ministers and governors, emphasising safety and preventing undue pressure on flight crews.
The Federation of Indian Pilots, said the union has written to the DGCA raising concerns over the extension.
Pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers are responsible for planning and conducting flights, and these decisions must rely on technical judgment rather than external influence.
'Extending 'flight duty period' and 'flight time' limits for minimum crew complement operations increases exposure to fatigue-related performance degradation'
Following a fatal plane crash in Baramati, the DGCA has grounded four aircraft belonging to VSR Ventures due to significant compliance lapses identified during a safety audit.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the air ambulance crash in Jharkhand's Chatra district that killed all seven people on board. Two teams from the DGCA are probing the accident, while families mourn the loss of their loved ones.
An aircraft carrying Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others crash landed at Baramati airport, killing all five persons on board. A DGCA team is investigating the crash.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which faced fuel control switch glitch, took off from London on February 1 after the crew carried out a physical check of the switch and that no abnormal parameters were observed during start of the engine or thereafter.
An IndiGo flight was evacuated at Chandigarh airport after a passenger's power bank caught fire. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated, and no major injuries were reported.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to rationalise airfares and provide relief to flyers, highlighting discrepancies in pricing for the same routes and airlines. The court is addressing a plea seeking a robust regulator to ensure transparency and passenger protection in the civil aviation sector.
IndiGo has vacated over 700 slots at various domestic airports after the DGCA curtailed its winter flights by 10% following operational disruptions in December. Other airlines are invited to request these slots.
FLO has signed agreements with Garuda Aerospace, NEOSKY India and YRG for a skilling programme to train 1,000 women drone pilots by March next year.
Airports across the country have been placed on operational alert to manage potential flight diversions, unscheduled landings and passenger facilitation requirements.
Air India is significantly embracing artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, improve customer services, increase revenues, and reduce costs as part of its ambitious transformation plan under the Tata Group.
Aviation watchdog DGCA stations personnel at IndiGo's headquarters to monitor flight cancellations, crew deployment, and operational disruptions after thousands of flights were cancelled, causing passenger inconvenience.
Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said it has received IndiGo's response to the show cause notice issued over the large-scale flight cancellations and will take enforcement action.
Apart from the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) exemptions, the regulator has provided certain other relaxations that will help IndiGo have more pilots for duty to reduce the disruptions and normalise operations.
A Fly91 flight from Hyderabad to Hubballi was diverted to Bengaluru due to adverse weather conditions, causing concern among passengers before safely returning to its destination.
The DGCA has formed two specialised teams to internally monitor IndiGo's daily operations.
GPS spoofing occurs when fake satellite signals are transmitted to an aircraft's navigation system, confusing pilots or onboard systems about the plane's actual position or altitude. Such false signals pose a serious safety risk, especially during landing.
An investigation into the matter is currently ongoing, and police have stated that no further details will be released at this stage.
Pilots' body Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA) India on Friday took 'strong' objection to safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s 'selective and unsafe' relief to domestic carrier IndiGo, amid widescale cancellations, saying the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
'Where rostering systems are automated and duty time software interfaces directly with DGCA, the assertion that they suddenly discovered crew shortages is simply implausible.' 'If adequate crew planning hasn't materialised within 12 to 24 months from inception, how will 45 days -- from December 5 to February 12 -- suddenly resolve matters?'
Bengaluru police have registered a case related to the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, following a complaint by his nephew alleging a criminal conspiracy.
Indian carriers have cancelled over 10,000 flights since the onset of the West Asia conflict, as escalating tensions and airspace restrictions disrupted international operations, a senior government official said.
Citing IndiGo flight disruptions, sources told PTI that the DGCA has decided to withdraw the provision 'no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest' from the FDTL norms.
Under the proposal, if a foreign carrier does not operate flights to a particular Indian airport for 'four consecutive IATA seasons', the regulator may suspend that airport authorisation.
The Delhi government is developing a drone policy focused on creating research clusters, establishing testing facilities, enabling drone use in traffic management, and providing subsidies to support the drone ecosystem.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on Friday requested the cooperation of all pilots to ensure smooth flight operations amid massive IndiGo flight disruptions.
Aviation watchdog DGCA has set up a four-member committee to carry out a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to the massive flight disruptions.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation-appointed panel investigating the flight disruptions at IndiGo is likely to summon the airline's CEO Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras on Wednesday as part of the ongoing probe, according to a source on Monday.
An IndiGo flight carrying 160 passengers made an emergency landing at Delhi airport after experiencing engine failure, prompting a full emergency response.
IndiGo has seen its pilots' strength depleting by 378 pilots in the last nine months despite its chief operating officer and Accountable Manager, Isidro Porqueras stating to the DGCA in a letter last December that "the overall impact of implementing the proposed changes above (now-implemented FDTL) norms would amount to an approximate 3 per cent increase in crewing requirements.
One of the major concerns highlighted by the DGCA was about the fact that not all staff had completed mandatory fatigue management training.
Following a fatal Learjet crash, the AAIB is urging the DGCA to implement stricter standard operating procedures for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flights at uncontrolled airfields to improve aviation safety in India.
The DGCA has revised air ticket refund norms, allowing passengers to cancel or change tickets without additional charges within 48 hours of booking, subject to conditions. The new rules also address name correction fees and medical emergency cancellations.
The government has suspended its directive requiring airlines to offer at least 60% of seats on flights without additional charges, following industry concerns about the impact on fares and pricing structures.
Indigo airlines cancelled 13 flights from Hyderabad airport, causing chaos and frustration among passengers. The cancellations were attributed to technology and operational issues.
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