New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has flagged multiple safety lapses by Turkish Airlines following a series of unannounced ramp inspections conducted between May 29 and June 2 at four major Indian airports- Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, these inspections were conducted under Article 16 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO), with a focus on both passenger and cargo operations to ensure compliance with Indian and international aviation safety standards.
Significant violations were identified, notably at Bengaluru airport, where a marshaller, responsible for directing aircraft on the ground, was found to be untrained and lacked the mandatory competency certification. In another serious infraction, aircraft arrival checks were performed by a technician rather than a certified Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME), in the absence of Airworks, the authorised maintenance service provider.
Further scrutiny of cargo operations revealed that Turkish Airlines had been transporting hazardous materials, including explosives, without securing the necessary approvals from the DGCA. Critical documentation for such shipments was found to be missing or incomplete, posing a serious risk to aviation safety.
Ground handling operations also came under question, particularly due to the absence of formal service-level agreements (SLAs) between Turkish Airlines and its ground handling partner, Globe Ground India, at both Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports. Additionally, essential ground support equipment such as trolleys, ladders, and power units was discovered without proper tracking or accountability measures in place.
During the inspections, it was found that Turkish Airlines was transporting dangerous goods, including explosives, without obtaining the requisite approval from the DGCA for carriage to or from India. Furthermore, the mandatory Dangerous Goods Declaration either did not mention the explosives or failed to include the necessary supporting documentation, constituting a serious breach of regulatory requirements.
In response to these findings, the DGCA has ordered Turkish Airlines to implement immediate corrective measures and ensure strict compliance with ICAO and DGCA regulations. The aviation regulator also confirmed that further inspections will be undertaken to reinforce regulatory oversight and safeguard passenger and crew safety.
Separately, diplomatic tensions have risen following Turkey’s decision to publicly support Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor’, leading to widespread criticism and outrage in India.
