NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator has issued a warning to Turkish Airlines after a series of surprise inspections uncovered serious safety and regulatory lapses, including the carriage of explosives without the required clearances. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out “ramp and safety oversight inspections” of Turkish Airlines’ flights — both passenger and cargo — at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru airports between 29 May and 2 June. The inspections revealed that dangerous goods were found onboard one cargo flight without prior permission or correct documentation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

“The cargo contained dangerous goods for which permission is required from DGCA for carriage of explosives to/from or over India. This was not found to be attached nor was it mentioned in the dangerous goods declaration,” the ministry said. Further lapses were reported in Bengaluru, where a marshaller working ground operations lacked proper authorisation and a valid competency card. Additionally, during the arrival of one aircraft, a technician — not a certified maintenance engineer — carried out arrival procedures.

Authorities also noted the absence of a formal service-level agreement between Turkish Airlines and its ground handling agency in India, as well as poor oversight of critical equipment. The DGCA has said that it will continue to keep Turkish Airlines’ India operations under close watch and carry out further inspections “as necessary to ensure continuous safety oversight”. The airline has not issued a public statement yet.