Raising ominous concerns about safety underwatching in one of the fastest-growing aviation hubs in the world, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, is facing a shortage of manpower.
The parliamentary standing committee has pointed out that almost half of the sanctioned posts in the DGCA remain vacant and warned that such a shortage might jeopardize safety standards and regulatory efficiency.
The report of the committee states that the DGCA is in charge of operations, licensing, flight safety audits, safety inspections, and compliance by airlines, but currently is operating with huge gaps resulting from technical and operational cadres.
For a long time, experts have cautioned that these shortfalls are affecting the regulator's ability to monitor and inspect airlines, analyze risks, and work effectively in the development of the aviation ecosystem.
Passenger traffic has again surged to pre-pandemic levels at the domestic airports of India, and new highs in passenger numbers are being recorded with respect to fleet expansions by airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, and others.
The Regulator in charge of the aviation sector could not have the workforce grow at the same pace as the industry. The panel noted that this mismatch between booming aviation activity and a limited regulatory workforce could result in operational vulnerabilities.
The Committee, moreover, insisted upon the granting of greater functional autonomy to the DGCA. Presently, it is under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and hence, the DGCA's decisions often require government approvals, thus affecting timely intervention.
A more independent structure for the DGCA, like those in the US and Europe, would empower it to act quickly and enforce compliance more effectively. The committee also recommends modernizing recruitment and training methods to fill vacancies with technically skilled personnel, especially in areas such as airworthiness, flight safety, and accident investigation.
The Committee also suggested implementing technology-based monitoring systems, including digital tracking of aircraft maintenance and AI-supported safety audits, to reduce the burden on human resources.
Aviation safety issues have come under scrutiny in recent months after incidents ranging from bird strikes to technical niggles. However, airlines claimed they were all minor, well-stewarded cases without major threat. Still, the Committee stressed that India cannot afford regulatory complacency in its efforts to build its status as a global aviation hub.
While the report is expected to pressure the government to fast-track reforms in the DGCA, ensuring the regulator is sufficiently staffed, technologically equipped, and empoweredto keep upr with the rapid pace of aviation growth in India, this is what will beadded too it.