DGCA Flags Multiple Safety Violations After Surprise Inspection Of Turkish Airlines

Last Updated:June 04, 2025, 22:29 IST

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found multiple safety violations in the operations of Turkish Airlines during inspections at four airports from May 29 to June 2.

The DGCA asked Turkish Airlines to address the safety violations. (Photo Credits: X)

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found multiple safety violations in the operations of Turkish Airlines during surprise inspections of passenger and cargo flights in Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru airports from May 29 to June 2, 2025.

According to an official statement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the DGCA conducted a Safety Oversight and Ramp inspections under international aviation rules, where it found multiple safety violations.

Among these lapses was marshaller competency in Bengaluru. According to the Ministry, the marshaller, who guided aircraft on the ground, lacked proper authorisation and a valid competency card for marshalling functions.

Another serious breach was when the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) was found unavailable during the arrival of the aircraft, and the arrival procedure was carried out by a technician instead, which went against aviation safety regulations.

A cargo carrying dangerous goods, including explosives, was transported by Turkish Airlines without the required permission from the DGCA, nor was it mentioned in the documents.

The aviation regulator also raised violations in ground handling, saying there was no Service Level Agreement (SLA) was in place between Turkish Airlines and its Ground Handling Agent (GHA).

Equipment such as ladders, step ladders, trolleys, and Ground Power Units (GPUs) lacked proper accountability and monitoring at Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where Globe Ground India was providing ground services without a formal handover from Celebi Aviation, which provides services at nine major Indian airports.

Turkish Airlines has been directed to address these findings promptly and ensure full compliance with Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices as well as DGCA regulations.

Following Turkey’s support for Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22 April, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd on 15 May, citing national security concerns.

Turkey has openly supported Pakistan, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressing solidarity with Islamabad. Recently, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Istanbul and met with Erdoğan.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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