Hyderabad: On Day 1 of Wings India 2026, Asia’s largest civil aviation event in Hyderabad, safety remained the subject of conversation, following the death of Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash earlier in the day. Also discussed was the Air India crash in Ahmedabad that left 260 dead last year.Aviation experts flagged multiple systemic lapses, placing responsibility both on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline operators for such incidents.While some alleged that landing clearances are granted even when runways do not fully meet prescribed safety standards or are inadequately equipped — particularly at smaller and regional airports — other experts highlighted the unavailability of advanced landing and navigation instruments for operations during poor visibility and adverse weather conditions.“Apart from weather conditions which play a critical role, the runway in many airports in the country are not equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS). The absence of ILS significantly increases operational risk, often forcing flight delays or diversions,” said Kabir Malik, CEO of Captain Aviation Charter and Helicopter Services.Experts pointed out that while India has nearly 150 operational airports, including domestic and international facilities, only about 60 are equipped with effective landing systems. The remaining depend largely on GPS-based systems, while some function as uncontrolled airstrips, making them vulnerable to accidents, delays and diversions — particularly during monsoons and winter fog.In addition to infrastructure gaps, experts also cited poor aircraft maintenance practices as a factor leading to fatal incidents. Issues such as runway incursions, staffing gaps in air traffic control and inadequate safety audits are also safety lapses highlighted by them.Pilot shortageMany also raised concern over the hiring of less-experienced pilots and long hours of work, to meet demanding flight schedules. While the ideal annual limit should be around 800 hours, many pilots, they claimed, fly 900 to 1,000 hours annually. This added workload leads to fatigue, stress, and reduced alertness, all of which compromise safety. “India is facing a severe shortage of pilots at a time when the country’s aviation sector is expanding rapidly, with hundreds of new aircraft being added to airline fleets every year. We require around 5,000 new pilots every two years to meet growing demand,” said R Asokan, dean (Aviation) at Hindustan Group of Institutions, which announced an MoU with Air India at Wings India. He added: “The shortfall is putting immense pressure on existing pilots, with airlines often compelling them to fly more than 40 hours a week, far exceeding the recommended limit of 32 hours.”
