Aviation regulator DGCA raps Turkish Airlines over multiple safety violations

The inspections, conducted under international aviation rules, focused on the airline's passenger and cargo flights to check compliance with Indian and global safety standards, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The rules fall under Article 16 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO).

The DGCA found one of the major lapses at Bengaluru airport, where the marshaller, the person guiding aircraft on the ground, was found untrained and without a 'competency card' to do the task.

In another serious breach, a technician, instead of a certified aircraft maintenance engineer (AME), was found to be handling the aircraft's arrival checks.

This goes against aviation safety norms. Airworks, the authorised service provider, was not present at the time.

During cargo checks, DGCA found that Turkish Airlines was carrying dangerous goods, including explosives, without mandatory permission from the aviation body. The required documents were either missing or incomplete, reports said.

Ground handling practices were also found to be non-compliant. There was no formal service-level agreement (SLA) between Turkish Airlines and its ground handling partner, Globe Ground India, at Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports.

No clear record or accountability was found on equipment such as ladders, trolleys, and power units.