• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered enhanced safety inspection of Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet powered by GEnx engines.

• Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, operating a flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed soon after the take-off on June 12.

• The enhanced DGCA inspection will include checks of various systems and a review of take-off parameters of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India, owned by Tata Group.

• Air India’s fleet includes 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft and Boeing 787-9 planes.

• The DGCA has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 planes equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect.

• These actions will be carried out in coordination with the DGCA regional offices concerned.

• With effect from January 15, the regulator has ordered various one-time checks of the Boeing 787 planes, including inspection of fuel parameter monitoring and associated system checks.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field of civil aviation primarily dealing with safety issues. 

• It has been accorded with statutory status by Aircraft Amendment Act, 2020.

• It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.

• It coordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

• The headquarters are located in New Delhi with regional offices in various parts of India.

• To keep the statutory provisions abreast with the international standards and the latest developments in the sphere of civil aviation, Aircraft (Amendment) Act, 2020 has been enacted and provisions relating to imposition of financial penalties and compounding of offences have been inserted in the Aircraft Rules, 1937. 

• New rules namely the Drone Rules, 2021 have been promulgated to regulate the drone sector.

Functions of DGCA: 

• Regulation of air transport services to/from/within India in accordance with the provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, including bilateral and multilateral agreements with foreign countries and the policy pronouncements of the government.

• Registration of civil aircraft.

• Laying down airworthiness requirements for civil aircraft registered in India and grant of Certificate of Airworthiness to such aircraft.

• Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and monitoring of flight crew standards.

• Licensing of aerodromes and air carriers.

• Rendering advice to the government on matters pertaining to civil aviation.

• Processing amendments to Aircraft Act, 1934 and the Aircraft Rules 1937, and other Acts and rules thereunder relating to aviation, for their implementation in India, the provisions of the Chicago Convention and Annexes thereto, and other International Conventions relating to aviation.

• Coordination of the work relating to the International Civil Aviation Organisation and replies to State Letters after consulting stakeholders, wherever necessary including consultation with other agencies.

• Investigation of air accidents and incidents and rendering technical assistance to the Courts/ Committees of Inquiry.

• Regulation and supervision of training activities of flying/gliding clubs.

• Type certification of aircraft.

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