NEW DELHI: India has issued a stern warning to Turkish Airlines after surprise inspections at four major airports uncovered multiple safety violations, including the alleged unauthorized carriage of explosives on one flight.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out “safety oversight and ramp” checks on Turkish Airlines’ passenger and cargo operations at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru between May 29 and June 2. Officials confirmed that follow-up inspections will continue to ensure the airline complies with Indian safety regulations.
One of the key violations involved dangerous goods — specifically, explosives — being transported without prior approval from the DGCA, as required. The explosives were not properly declared in the airline’s dangerous goods documentation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
At Bengaluru airport, further lapses were noted. The marshaller handling ground operations lacked both proper authorization and a valid competency card. Additionally, a qualified maintenance engineer was absent during the aircraft’s arrival, and a technician performed arrival procedures instead.
Authorities also found that Turkish Airlines had no service-level agreement with its ground handling agent at the airport. Equipment used for operations lacked proper tracking and accountability, the ministry added.
Senior officials confirmed that the inspections focused on aircraft operated by Turkish Airlines and emphasized that enhanced scrutiny of the airline’s India-bound operations will continue.
