India Flags Explosives, Safety Breaches in Turkish Airlines Flights during Surprise Checks

The safety oversight and ramp (SOFA/RAMP) inspections were conducted on Turkish Airlines’ passenger and cargo flights at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru airports between May 29 and June 2, 2025. Highlighting the gravity of the findings, DGCA confirmed that the airline’s operations in India will remain under close monitoring, with additional inspections planned as necessary to uphold safety standards.

Key violations identified during the inspections included the carriage of dangerous goods, specifically explosives, without mandatory permissions from the DGCA or appropriate mention in the dangerous goods declaration. Additionally, procedural lapses in ground operations were observed at multiple airports.

At Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, the marshaller responsible for handling ground operations reportedly lacked both proper authorisation and a valid competency card. Moreover, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) was not available during an aircraft’s arrival, and a technician conducted arrival procedures instead, despite Airworks being the airline’s designated engineering service provider.      The inspections also revealed gaps in operational agreements and ground handling processes. At Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports, critical equipment such as ladders, trolleys, and ground power units (GPUs) were not properly accounted for, and there was no official service level agreement (SLA) in place between Turkish Airlines and its ground handling agent (GHA). The ground services at these locations were being managed by Globe Ground India, reportedly without a formal handover from Celebi, whose security clearance in India was revoked last month amid rising diplomatic tensions.

The DGCA has reiterated its unwavering commitment to maintaining stringent safety and regulatory standards for all foreign carriers operating within Indian airspace. Turkish Airlines has been directed to rectify these issues immediately and align its operations with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and DGCA regulations. The aviation authority confirmed that follow-up inspections will be conducted to ensure continued compliance.

It’s important to note that these checks were carried out solely on Turkish Airlines aircraft and not on the two Boeing 777 aircraft wet-leased by IndiGo from the Turkish carrier. Both Turkish Airlines and IndiGo currently operate daily flights between Delhi and Istanbul and Mumbai and Istanbul.

This regulatory crackdown comes against a backdrop of diplomatic strain between India and Turkey. Following Turkey’s overt support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and the alleged deployment of Turkish drones by Pakistan, India has been reviewing its aviation and business ties with Turkey. As part of this realignment, the DGCA recently instructed IndiGo to terminate its wet lease agreement with Turkish Airlines by August 31, 2025, granting a final three-month extension upon receiving an undertaking from IndiGo that no further extensions would be sought.

The aviation ministry has made it clear that ensuring passenger and airspace safety remains its highest priority and has warned that any non-compliance will result in strict regulatory action.