Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 21: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked all aircraft operators to frame Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for commercial flight operations to ensure safe flight procedures with no alternative destination.
On February 20, DGCA issued a circular stating that the operators must create SOPs specific to each aerodrome, provide guidance to flight operations personnel and must have the SOPs certified by the DGCA to ensure safe flight procedures with no alternative destination.
It further reads that the international aviation industry must constantly adapt to new trends and increasingly competitive market conditions in a rapidly changing global economy.
“While technological improvements in aviation continue to increase reliability and predictability, economic and environmental concerns will continue to compel operators to use fuel more efficiently. Consequently, all operators, including those leveraging existing technologies and those investing in new technologies to meet operational challenges, should be afforded the opportunity to receive a return on their investments,” the circular from DGCA read.
“This circular aims to provide extended guidance material necessary to support the implementation of policy to operate flights with no destination alternate in compliance with CAR Section 8 Series O Part II,” it read further.
Moreover, DGCA has suggested certain guidelines to formulate SOP for flights with No Destination Alternate. It states that the operators shall establish a laid down procedure for each aerodrome as approved by DGCA to undertake flights with No Destination Alternate.
DGCA also said that the procedure is only applicable to destinations with more than one independent runway.
