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✈️ Safety SOS: DGCA Audit Blows the Whistle on India’s Airports! 😱

TL;DRDGCA’s surprise safety audit at Delhi, Mumbai and other airports after the Ahmedabad crash uncovered alarming defects—repeated aircraft snags, worn tyres, faded runway markings, and faulty ground gear during night inspections. Airlines and airport teams have just 7 days to fix all issues or face action. #AviationSafety #DGCA

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🌩️ What Happened?

  • The DGCA launched a comprehensive audit across major hubs like Delhi & Mumbai following the Air India Flight 171 crash on June 12, the worst in nearly three decades.

  • Inspections during night and early morning found serious issues: worn tyres allowed for takeoff before being halted, unserviceable baggage trolleys, ground vehicles lacking speed governors, and faded runway centrelines that could impair pilot visibility.

  • There were also recurring defects on aircraft—snag reports not recorded in logs, missing maintenance protocols, and maintenance staff absent during critical fixes.

🛑 Why It Matters

  • India is the 3rd-largest aviation market, with passenger numbers jumping from 83 million in 2014 to 174 million in 2024.

  • But air traffic grew too fast for its safety systems: DGCA is understaffed (50% of its 1,633 posts vacant) and major budget cuts mean weak oversight.

  • The Ahmedabad crash hit homes and dorms, killing 241 on board and 34 on the ground, showing deadly consequences when protocols slip.

📋 What DGCA Ordered

  • Issued show-cause notices and demanded all airlines and airports correct issues within 7 days or face penalties.

  • Directed special audits for Indian carriers, including Air India base in Gurugram.

  • Already warned Air India earlier this month for pilot duty-time breaches, over-flight hours, and emergency-check violations.

🚨 Voices from Ground

  • The audit found maintenance engineers ignoring work orders and repeated snag mismanagement—no wonder maintenance experts felt, “everything is swept under the carpet”.

  • Airline CEOs scrambled: Air India replaced scheduling heads after DGCA flagged pilot over-hours on Bengaluru–London flights.

What’s Next?

  • Strict compliance checks every night till issues are fixed. DGCA says “no compromise with safety”.

  • New infrastructure still being built at Hyderabad & Kolkata also now under review.

  • This is a wake-up call—rapid aviation expansion must go hand-in-hand with safety investment, staffing, and training.

🗣️ MediaFx Perspective (For the People!)

From the people’s side, this audit is good, but it shows a bigger problem: profit-first airlines and weak bureaucracy are putting lives at risk. Airports and airlines must hire & train more tech staffs, fund safety—not just build shiny terminals. The common worker and passenger deserve safe skies, not cut corners. Airports must treat safety like a human right, not a checkbox.

💬 Over to You!

What do you think—are airlines cutting too many corners to chase income? Have you seen safety scares at airports? Drop your thoughts below 👇 Let’s fuel the conversation!

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