New Delhi: The aviation regulator on Tuesday ordered the immediate grounding of four business jets operated by VSR Ventures and unveiled a tougher safety regime for non-scheduled flight operators, following a series of fatal crashes that have heightened scrutiny of charter and private aviation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said a special safety audit of VSR Ventures, conducted after the January 28 crash of a Learjet 45 near Baramati, found multiple departures from approved procedures across airworthiness, air safety and flight operations. The accident killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. Acting on the audit findings, the regulator directed that Learjet 40 and 45 aircraft registered as VT-VRA, VT-VRS, VT-VRV and VT-TRI be grounded with immediate effect until continued airworthiness standards are restored.
“In view of the non-compliances observed and considering the gaps in maintenance procedures, it is decided to initiate corrective measures by immediately grounding” the aircraft, the DGCA said. Deficiency reporting forms have been issued to the operator, which must submit root cause analyses for the lapses identified. The submissions will be assessed before any further decision is taken.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is expected to release a preliminary report on the Baramati crash before February 28. While the probe is ongoing, the DGCA noted that concerns have been voiced in some quarters about the circumstances of the accident.
The regulator’s action against VSR Ventures came alongside a broader clampdown on non-scheduled operators after another crash on Monday in Jharkhand that killed seven people on board. A day later, the DGCA convened a meeting with all such operators, citing a recent rise in aviation incidents and the need for a renewed focus on safety.
“Safety must remain the absolute priority, superseding all commercial considerations, charter commitments or VIP movements,” the DGCA said, adding that an organisation’s leadership bears responsibility for putting safety first. It reaffirmed that a pilot-in-command’s decision to divert, delay or cancel a flight for safety reasons is final and must be respected without commercial repercussions. The watchdog warned that safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots and said accountable managers and senior leadership would be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances.
Among the measures announced are intensive audits with increased random checks of cockpit voice recorders, cross-verification of ADS-B data, fuel records and technical logs to detect unauthorised operations or falsified data. Operators will be required to publicly disclose critical safety information such as aircraft age and maintenance history and will be subject to a safety ranking mechanism. Stricter penalties, including licence suspension of up to five years, could be imposed on pilots for non-compliance.
The DGCA also said it would step up monitoring of older aircraft and those undergoing ownership changes, audit operators that run their own maintenance facilities and require outsourcing where adequacy is lacking. Real-time weather update systems and strict adherence to standard operating practices have been mandated. The first phase of special safety audits is due to conclude in early March, followed by a second phase covering remaining operators and a physical safety workshop to align stakeholders with the new requirements.
A review of accident data from the past decade, the regulator said, points to non-adherence to standard procedures, inadequate flight planning and training gaps as recurring factors in aircraft accidents.