Parliamentary Panel Warns DGCA Staffing Crisis Threatens India's Aviation Safety

A Parliamentary panel in India has identified severe staffing shortages at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as an 'existential threat' to the country's aviation safety system, urging the government to grant the regulator full administrative and financial autonomy through a time-bound plan. Nearly half of the DGCA's sanctioned posts remain vacant due to an ineffective recruitment model, undermining the regulator's ability to oversee safety effectively amid rapid growth in aircraft induction. The panel highlighted that the current imbalance between aircraft fleet expansion and airport infrastructure development is straining existing facilities, degrading service quality, and compromising safety margins. It called for a comprehensive National Capacity Alignment Plan to synchronize airport infrastructure with fleet growth and recommended establishing strict deadlines for closing safety deficiencies, alongside stronger enforcement actions including financial penalties. The crisis was underscored following the deadly Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash in June, and the report criticized the backlog of unresolved safety findings, poor audit quality, and airlines prioritizing profit over maintenance. The committee also suggested launching a focused recruitment campaign or possibly creating a new regulatory authority to replace the DGCA to better address these challenges.