To curb accidents, aviation watchdog DGCA to issue new checklist for airports

In order to regulate airside activities and to reduce ground incidents, for safe operation of aircraft, DGCA has decided to conduct the safety audit of airside activities quarterly as per the checklist.

Following the death of a SpiceJet engineer who got stuck in between the hydraulic door flaps and a series of other incidents at the airside, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a checklist for airlines and airport operators and has said that it will do an audit in two months and then every quarter to ensure the checklist is being followed.

With Indian airports getting busier, the number of incidents involving aircraft are also increasing across airports. (MINT PHOTO.)

“In order to regulate the airside activities and to reduce ground incidents, for safe operation of aircraft, DGCA has decided to conduct the safety audit of airside activities quarterly as per the checklist. It will go a long way in improving safety on the airside,” said Arun Kumar, DGCA chief.

The DGCA has written to the airport operators regarding the matter on Friday.

“As Indian airports are getting busier, the number of incidents involving aircraft are also increasing. Since January 2019, at Delhi airport, seven ground incidents have been reported involving many aircraft,” DGCA has said in the letter.

As per the communication, in two cases, the engine of the aircraft was hit by ground power unit, in one case by a ladder and in another case by a toilet cart. Similarly, in Mumbai, one aircraft was hit by a ground tractor, another by an empty container trolley and the third by a flying container. Similar incidents have been reported in Hyderabad, Trichy, Chennai, Cochin, Rajkot and Tirupati.

The checklist details the ground facilities check, which include passenger boarding bridge, condition of apron/marking/lighting, aircraft fuelling, pushback and handling of arrival and departure of aircraft.