India’s aviation regulator has unveiled a sweeping safety package for non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) holders—companies that run charter flights and corporate jets—following two fatal crashes in January and February. At a meeting in Delhi on 24 February, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told operators it will create a public ‘safety leaderboard’, mandate disclosure of aircraft age and maintenance history, and impose licence suspensions of up to five years on pilots breaching flight-duty limits. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
For corporate mobility teams that rely on charters for intra-India hops or last-mile connections to mining and project sites, the new transparency could influence vendor selection and insurance premiums. Travellers will soon be able to check an operator’s safety score—compiled from audits, incident reports and on-time submission of technical logs—before booking a flight.
![DGCA to publish safety rankings and tougher penalties for India’s charter and business-jet operators]()
While travellers compare safety scores, they must also ensure their travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) streamlines visa checks and applications for both Indian nationals and foreign crew or passengers, helping corporate mobility teams coordinate paperwork as efficiently as they book compliant charter flights.
The DGCA is also intensifying random audits, including cockpit voice-recorder analysis and cross-checks of ADS-B data against flight plans to spot unreported ‘ghost legs’. Older aircraft and those that have recently changed ownership will face heightened scrutiny.
Industry group BAOA has welcomed the reforms but cautioned that smaller operators may struggle with the compliance workload. The regulator insists safety overrides commercial considerations and that management, not just pilots, will be held personally accountable for lapses.
For corporate mobility teams that rely on charters for intra-India hops or last-mile connections to mining and project sites, the new transparency could influence vendor selection and insurance premiums. Travellers will soon be able to check an operator’s safety score—compiled from audits, incident reports and on-time submission of technical logs—before booking a flight.
While travellers compare safety scores, they must also ensure their travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) streamlines visa checks and applications for both Indian nationals and foreign crew or passengers, helping corporate mobility teams coordinate paperwork as efficiently as they book compliant charter flights.
The DGCA is also intensifying random audits, including cockpit voice-recorder analysis and cross-checks of ADS-B data against flight plans to spot unreported ‘ghost legs’. Older aircraft and those that have recently changed ownership will face heightened scrutiny.
Industry group BAOA has welcomed the reforms but cautioned that smaller operators may struggle with the compliance workload. The regulator insists safety overrides commercial considerations and that management, not just pilots, will be held personally accountable for lapses.
