DGCA to conduct safety audit of all flying schools; 33 to be checked in 3 months

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started conducting special safety audits of all the 33 flying training organisations (FTO) in the country in a bid to enhance their safety standards by ensuring compliance with all requirements.

The last such exercise was conducted two years ago and is being repeated due to a "series of recent training aircraft incidents that have sparked concerns regarding the compliance of the training organisations with respect to the established aviation regulations and safety protocols."

The audit will scrutinise each FTO’s adherence to DGCA’s regulatory standards, including aircraft maintenance, airworthiness, and training operations.

"This audit aims to thoroughly assess the safety standards, operational procedures, and systemic deficiencies within flying training organisations to ensure the highest levels of safety and compliance," the regulator said in a statement Thursday.

The audit is being conducted in three phases from Sept to Nov 2024 covering the 33 FTOs.
This safety audit will focus on various aspects of an FTO's operations such as training curriculum, flying training imparted to student pilots, and the overall supervision and assessment mechanisms employed by FTOs to ensure that trainees meet the required standards of proficiency before being certified to fly independently.

The audit will also take a close look at the operational oversight and maintenance protocols of the aircraft used for training purposes to ensure that all training aircraft are maintained to the highest standards, with no compromises on safety.

Special safety audit aims to enforce corrective measures where necessary, enhancing the overall safety and effectiveness of flight training in India, an official said.

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