DGCA orders airlines to appoint ‘chief of flight safety’ to address systemic gaps
New Delhi, January 21. Citing recurring causes and systemic shortcomings flagged by accident investigations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed all airline operators to appoint a dedicated “chief of flight safety” to strengthen the implementation of safety protocols across aviation operations.
As part of the new measures aimed at preventing accidents and incidents, the aviation regulator has asked operators to establish an independent flight safety department staffed with an adequate number of qualified personnel, The Hindu reported. The department will be responsible for promoting flight safety and implementing structured accident and incident prevention programmes.
In addition, airlines have been instructed to nominate a “deputy chief of flight safety”. The DGCA has mandated cross-functional representation at the top, specifying that if the chief of flight safety is a pilot, the deputy must be an engineer, and vice versa.
Explaining the rationale behind the directive, the DGCA said investigations into aviation accidents have consistently pointed to repeating causal factors and systemic deficiencies in operations. While such investigations remain useful for incremental improvements, the regulator noted that relying solely on reactive measures offers limited scope for major safety gains.
The DGCA underlined that with the effective implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS), the aviation industry has moved from a reactive to a proactive safety approach. This shift enables the identification and mitigation of safety risks before they escalate into incidents or accidents.
According to the regulator, integrating SMS with safety awareness and accident prevention programmes is critical to creating a structured framework for continuous monitoring, evaluation and improvement of operational practices.
“To ensure the highest levels of safety in aircraft operations, it is imperative that every operator implements such a programme,” the DGCA was quoted as stating.
The instructions apply to all operators involved in scheduled passenger services, cargo operations and non-scheduled air transport services.
Emphasising the need to build a strong safety culture within the aviation sector, the DGCA also directed operators to conduct regular internal safety audits across key divisions, including flight operations, maintenance and ground support services.
The regulator further stressed the importance of enforcing flight and duty time limitations for operating crew to prevent fatigue, warning that crew exhaustion could adversely impact the safety of flight operations.
