Parliament Question: Unresolved safety deficiencies

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1776 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9th March 2026 UNRESOLVED SAFETY DEFICIENCIES 1776. SHRI DEREK O' BRIEN Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether it is a fact that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's Annual Surveillance Programme detected 12, 683 deficiencies in 2024 with 961 Level II pending and by April, 2025 a further 4, 692 with 3, 747 pending including 37 Level I; (b) if so, the directorate-wise list of operators with the highest repeat Level I/II findings during 2023-25 and the enforcement action taken in each case; (c) whether Government will notify strict, time-bound closure and penalty policy and the timelines therefor; and (d) whether an independent audit of enforcement from finding-to-closure will be commissioned, if so, the timelines of the audit? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) & (b): As on 31st December, 2025, no Level-I deficiencies are pending for closure. Total 550 operator/organisation wise Level II repetitive findings were noticed from 2023-25 against which 29 enforcement action have been taken. (c): The findings/deficiencies are categorized into Level-I and Level-II. Level 1 finding requires immediate attention and rectification. The timeline for closure of Level -1 finding is 07 days whereas Level-II findings must be resolved within 30 days. Continued operations are not allowed with level-I finding without its rectification. In rare cases, operations are allowed under control/ restricted environment. In case of violations, DGCA initiates enforcement actions against the airline/ organisation/ personnel which may include warning, suspension or cancellation of approval/ certificate/ licence including imposition of financial penalty. (d): DGCA has a systematic safety oversight mechanism for monitoring compliance of Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements encompassing all aircraft and airport operators. DGCA publishes Annual Surveillance Plan (ASP) on its website. Findings of regular and periodic audits, night surveillances, ramp inspections & spot checks are followed up with concernedoperator for compliance. The compliance of action taken by operator is verified during next audit/surveillance. In case of any violations/ non-compliance to regulations detected during audit/surveillance, enforcement action including financial penalty is imposed by DGCA. The above framework already provides a systemic, multi-layered and effective mechanism for ensuring compliance, safety and regulatory integrity. ******