DGCA begins in-depth audit of Air India's Gurugram base

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday launched a detailed audit of Air India’s main base in Gurugram, stepping up its oversight of the airline following the tragic crash of a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad earlier this month.

The accident, which occurred shortly after take-off on June 12, killed nearly 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, and has triggered a wider review of aviation safety protocols across the country.

According to a source, an eight-member DGCA team has commenced the audit at the Tata Group-owned airline’s hub.

Typically, annual audits involve a three-member team, but the scale and seriousness of recent developments have prompted the regulator to expand the team and deepen the scope of scrutiny, the source added.

The audit will cover all aspects of the airline’s operations, including flight planning, scheduling, rostering, and functioning of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC).

Officials confirmed that the audit is part of a broader, special safety inspection being carried out across the Indian aviation sector.

Following the Ahmedabad crash, the DGCA had earlier announced a Comprehensive Special Audit programme aimed at all aviation-related entities -- including scheduled and non-scheduled airlines, MROs (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul organisations), flying schools, airport operators, and ground handlers.

This special audit drive is in addition to the annual surveillance schedule and comes with stricter enforcement measures, including the possibility of suspending or cancelling licences for serious safety violations.

The audits are being conducted in three phases: a 5–7 day pre-audit phase, followed by a 3–5 day on-site inspection, and then a post-audit analysis phase of 10–15 days.

Additionally, on June 21, the DGCA directed the airline to immediately remove three senior officials from its rostering department over serious lapses, including non-compliant crew pairings and violations of licensing rules.

The regulator described the issue as a "systemic failure" and said internal disciplinary action must be taken within 10 days.

--IANS

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