India recorded 16 air accidents, including eight fatal incidents, during 2025 and the first two months of 2026, the government informed Parliament. In a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that all the incidents are under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025. The government stressed that detailed investigations are essential to strengthen aviation safety systems and prevent future mishaps.
Emphasising the robustness of India’s aviation safety framework, officials said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) continues to maintain a comprehensive safety oversight mechanism covering airlines, charter operators, helicopter services and airport operators. This includes regulatory audits, night surveillance, ramp inspections, spot checks and special audits, all conducted under an Annual Surveillance Plan that is publicly available on the DGCA website. Any deficiencies identified during these checks are taken up with the operators concerned, and their compliance is verified in subsequent inspections.
Official data shows that in 2025, the DGCA conducted 56 regulatory audits and nine special audits of airlines and other operators. In 2026 so far, 12 regulatory audits and 29 special audits have already been carried out. In addition, safety audits of non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) holders were conducted in two phases in February and March 2026. The DGCA said enforcement action, including financial penalties, is imposed wherever violations or non-compliance with safety regulations are found.
As part of efforts to further tighten safety norms, the DGCA also issued fresh guidelines on March 27, 2026, for the carriage of Central and state dignitaries and other VVIPs by aircraft. The order mandates strict compliance by all stakeholders and calls for effective measures to ensure the highest standards of operational safety during such flights.
Addressing concerns about manpower shortages in regulatory bodies, the government said gaps in staffing at the DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) have not affected the conduct of safety audits, inspections or surveillance. To boost regulatory capacity, 426 technical posts were created between 2022 and 2024 as part of a restructuring exercise, keeping in mind the rapid growth of the aviation sector and the expanding role of the DGCA as a safety regulator.
Recruitment to these posts is currently underway. As of February 2026, 167 candidates had been selected or recommended, with appointment offers issued to 106 of them. Another 42 candidates have been called from a reserve panel, while proposals to fill 82 additional posts have been sent to the Union Public Service Commission. The government said that since recruitment involves multiple stages and often faces challenges such as non-joining or limited response to advertisements, short-term contractual hiring is also being used to bridge gaps.
Taken together, officials said these measures demonstrate that aircraft operations in India continue to be closely monitored and regulated, even as the civil aviation sector expands rapidly across the country.
