Safety is Non-Negotiable

India's business aviation sector has a relatively low accident rate, but safety concerns persist due to regulatory gaps, pilot fatigue, and ageing aircraft in some fleets. Most incidents are minor, with few fatal accidents in recent years. Business aviation fleet—comprising charter jets, turboprops, and helicopters—has grown rapidly, but its safety record remains under scrutiny. Unlike commercial airlines, business aviation operates under less stringent oversight, which can lead to operational risks.

- R CHANDRAKANTH reports

India’s business and general aviation (GA) sector has long operated in the shadow of its scheduled airlines. Between 2014 and 2020, the DGCA's Civil Aviation Statistics Handbook recorded 56 civil accidents, with nonscheduled operators (NSOPs) accounting for the largest share at 39.3 per cent, training institutes at 28.6 per cent, and scheduled airlines at around 23.2 per cent. Between 2020 and 2023, 35 accidents were reported, 28 of which involved NSOPs, flying training organisations (FTOs), and private aircraft. During the same period, there were 65 in-flight engine shutdowns and 11 Mayday distress calls in a 17-month window up to mid-2025.

While India’s scheduled airline segment has achieved a fairly commendable safety record—with ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program (USOAP) reporting a 77.5 per cent effective implementation score, above the global average of about 67 per cent—the nonscheduled and general aviation segments continue to lag. This dichotomy explains why technology adoption has become central to improving safety: operators are focusing on interventions that address the very causes of accidents highlighted in DGCA investigations, from loss of control in flight (LOCI) and controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) to runway excursions, engine failures, and human-factor errors such as poor decision-making, fatigue, and inadequate crew resource management (CRM).

WHERE RISKS LIE