New Rules by DGCA for Airport Ground Handling Service Providers

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced new rules for Ground Handling Service Producers (GHSPs) at all its airports. The new rules have been put in place to ensure maximum safety during ground operations.

New Rules by DGCA

DGCA has issued new Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) for GHSPs, which include specific training and competency criteria needed for airport operations. According to the new mandates, GHSPs now need to appoint safety managers, accountable managers, and station managers at airports. The main jobs of these new positions will be to deal with the rapid growth in aircraft movement, increase the use of ground support equipment, and expand the presence of third-party ground handling services.

“The robust safety mechanism to be implemented prospectively by ground handling service providers would help in prevention and mitigation of ground incidents at the airport thereby enhancing the quality of services rendered in safety sensitive functions,” stated DGCA.

The rules include mandatory safety clearances, which, in turn, will reduce the number of accidents at airports and ensure personnel safety. As per DGCA’s notice, the mandated CARs need to be put in place immediately and within the next six months, GHSPs are now required to attain a safety clearance from DGCA to function normally.

Since India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation market in the world, such rules are needed to ensure the safety and smooth operations for all.