RAS question
After the Baramati aircraft crash in January 2026, the DGCA grounded the aircraft of which operator and launched a safety audit?
Correct answer: (B) VSR Ventures.
After the January 2026 Baramati aircraft crash, the DGCA grounded four aircraft operated by VSR Ventures and began a special safety audit of the operator.
Explanation
The operator was VSR Ventures. Its Learjet 45XR crashed at Baramati on 28 January 2026, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others. The aircraft crashed during the second attempt in dense fog and low visibility. After the accident, the DGCA grounded four Learjet aircraft operated by VSR Ventures and began a special safety audit of the company. The key identifier is therefore the operator against which the regulatory action was taken, not the aircraft model or the name of a scheduled airline.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) SpiceJet is a scheduled airline, whereas the Baramati accident and the subsequent regulatory action concerned VSR Ventures.
- (C) Club One Air was not the operator involved in the Baramati Learjet 45XR accident or the subsequent DGCA action.
- (D) Air India Express was unrelated to the Baramati Learjet 45XR accident and the subsequent DGCA action against VSR Ventures.
Concept
This question tests regulatory oversight by the DGCA after an aviation accident, a governance theme that RAS often frames through current affairs. Safety audits, enforcement action and accident investigation illustrate how statutory regulators respond to events involving public risk.