India Flags Serious Safety Lapses In Turkish Airlines Operations After DGCA Inspections At Delhi, Bengaluru And Other Airports

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a stern warning to Turkish Airlines following a recent round of safety oversight inspections at multiple Indian airports.

The inspections, conducted between 29 May and 2 June, uncovered multiple violations, highlighting serious safety concerns regarding the airline’s operations in India.

The inspection uncovered significant lapses in both operational practices and safety compliance.

These included issues with marshaller competency, improper aircraft maintenance procedures, and a failure to adhere to regulations for dangerous goods handling.

"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 29 May 2025 to 2 June 2025. The inspections were carried out to ensure compliance with both international and national safety regulations," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement on Wednesday (4 June).

According to the ministry, the key findings of the inspections included:

1. Marshaller Competency:

At Bengaluru, the marshaller handling ground operations lacked proper  authorization and a valid competency card for marshalling functions, the ministry said.

2. 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. Airworks is the authorized engineering service provider for Turkish Airlines, according to the ministry.

3. Dangerous Goods Handling:

The cargo contained Dangerous Goods for which permission required from DGCA for carriage of Explosives to/from over India. This was not found to be attached nor it was mentioned in the Dangerous Goods Declaration mentioned, the ministry said.

4. Ground Handling Agreement:

The ministry said that there was no Service Level Agreement (SLA) 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, where Globe Ground India was providing ground services without formal handover from Celebi, it added.

Emphasising its commitment to ensuring the safety and regulatory compliance of all foreign operators within Indian airspace, the DGCA has directed the 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.

The heightened scrutiny of Turkish Airlines comes at a time of growing tension between India and Turkey.

This comes in the wake of Turkey’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, a military operation by India in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack.

The diplomatic fallout from Turkey's stance, including the use of Turkish-manufactured drones by Pakistan army, has significantly strained bilateral relations.

Earlier last month, India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance of Çelebi Airport Services India, the local arm of Turkey-headquartered Çelebi Aviation Holding, citing national security concerns, ANI reported.

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