India's civil aviation watchdog reveals safety lapses at major airports

NEW DELHI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- India's civil aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it has found several lapses during surveillance conducted at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, officials said Wednesday.

The lapses included instances of the reappearance of previously reported defects on aircraft and non-adherence to proper work order, they added.

The assessment came after an Air India aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India's western state of Gujarat, killing all but one of the 242 people on board.

The ministry said surveillance covered multiple critical areas such as flight operations, airworthiness, ramp safety, air traffic control, communication, navigation and surveillance systems, and pre-flight medical evaluations.

During the surveillance, the regulator found that the work order was not followed in maintenance of the aircraft. A simulator was also found not matching with the aircraft configuration.

Also, a domestic flight of a scheduled carrier was cancelled due to worn tyres, and it was released only after the required rectification was carried out.