In accordance with Article 16 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted a Safety Oversight and Ramp (SOFA/RAMP) inspections of Turkish Airlines’ passenger and cargo flights at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru from May 29 to June 2, 2025. The inspections were carried out to ensure compliance with both international and national safety regulations. Marshaller Competency: At Bengaluru, the marshaller handling ground operations lacked proper authorisation and a valid competency card for marshalling functions. Aircraft Maintenance: During the arrival of the aircraft, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) was unavailable, and the arrival procedure was carried out by a technician instead. Dangerous Goods Handling: The cargo contained dangerous goods, for which permission is required from DGCA for carriage of explosives to/from over India. This was not found to be attached nor was it mentioned in the Dangerous Goods Declaration. Ground Handling Agreement: No Service Level Agreement (SLA) was in place between Turkish Airlines and its Ground Handling Agent (GHA). Equipment such as ladders, step ladders, trolleys and Ground Power Units (GPUs) lacked proper accountability and monitoring at Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The DGCA, while emphasising its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and regulatory compliance of all foreign operators within Indian airspace, has directed Turkish Airlines to address these findings promptly and ensure full compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices as well as DGCA regulations. Further follow-up inspections will be conducted as necessary to ensure continuous safety oversight, said a Ministry of Civil Aviation communique.
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