Parliament Question: Monitoring of Flight Operations

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. : 66 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23rd July 2026 ) MONITORING OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS 66. SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) the details of the key initiatives taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) during the year 2026 to strengthen the monitoring and surveillance of flight operations; (b) whether any digital system has been introduced or upgraded for real-time monitoring of flight operations and reporting of incidents and if so, the details thereof; (c) the measures taken to ensure compliance with international aviation safety standards by airlines and airports; and (d) whether any assessment has been carried out regarding safety-related shortcomings and if so, the details thereof along with the corrective measures taken thereon? ANSWER Minister of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu) (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of house. ******STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 66 FOR REPLY ON 23.07.2026 REGARDING "MONITORING OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS" BY SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI AND SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO (a): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has a systematic safety oversight mechanism for monitoring compliance with the Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), encompassing all aircraft and airport operators. The safety oversight process includes regulatory audits, night surveillance, ramp inspections, spot checks and special audits. DGCA publishes the Annual Surveillance Plan (ASP) on its website. The findings of audits, surveillance and spot checks are followed up with the operator concerned for compliance. Further, the compliance of the action taken by the operator is verified during the next audit/surveillance. In case of any violation or non-compliance with the regulations detected during an audit/surveillance, enforcement action, including imposition of financial penalty, is taken by DGCA. Further, various spot checks have been conducted in terms of General Safety Circular 01/2025 dated 19th June 2025, which launched "Comprehensive Special Audits" of the entire Indian aviation ecosystem. These audits are (i) multidisciplinary and risk-based; (ii) evaluate safety management systems, compliance and operational aspects; and (iii) include findings-based corrective actions and monitoring mechanisms. DGCA has also issued General Safety Circular 02/2025 dated 11th December 2025 on advance preparedness and timely compliance with specific operating regulations. (b): DGCA mandates occurrence reporting under Rule 29E and CAR Section 5, Series C, Part I. DGCA is presently in the process of introducing a digital platform for occurrence reporting on the eGCA portal to facilitate electronic submission and processing of mandatory occurrence reports, thereby improving the timeliness and efficiency of incident reporting. (c): Details of measures taken by Scheduled Airlines and at Airports to ensure compliance with international aviation safety standards are Annexed. (d): DGCA continuously aligns with global best practices, within the applicable timelines, as and when any amendment becomes applicable. The Annual Surveillance Programme (ASP-2026) has been prepared in accordance with the safety oversight programme for the various Directorates of DGCA. The ASP-2026 is envisaged to address the safety oversight obligations of DGCA during the year 2026. The deficiencies observed during audits and inspections are communicated to the operators concerned for corrective action. The compliance of the action taken by the operator is verified during the next audit/surveillance. ******Annexure Measures taken to ensure compliance with international aviation safety standards are as follows: A. Measures taken at airports: i. DGCA issues Aerodrome Licences after verifying compliance with the applicable provisions of CAR Section 4, Series B, Part I and CAR Section 4, Series F, Part I, which are aligned with the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in ICAO Annex 14. ii. Aerodrome operators are responsible for maintaining the airports in a fit state during the validity of the aerodrome licence. iii. DGCA conducts annual surveillance inspections to ensure continued compliance with the regulatory requirements. iv. Aerodrome operators are required to implement a Safety Management System (SMS) and to maintain essential safety infrastructure and services, including Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), emergency response, wildlife hazard management, obstacle limitation surfaces, etc. v. The findings identified during inspections are monitored for timely corrective action, and appropriate enforcement action is taken by DGCA in the case of violations. B. Measures taken by Scheduled Airlines: i. Implementation of a Safety Management System (SMS) for hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety performance monitoring. ii. Conduct of periodic internal and external safety audits, including IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA - where applicable), and compliance with DGCA surveillance. iii. Maintenance of aircraft in accordance with approved maintenance programmes and continuing airworthiness requirements. iv. Regular initial and recurrent training for flight crew, cabin crew, maintenance personnel, and other operational staff. v. Promotion of safety reporting, investigation of occurrences, and implementation of corrective actions. vi. Maintenance of Emergency Response Plans (ERP) and continuous monitoring and improvement of safety performance.