Aviation safety: Parliament panel flags DGCA staff shortage; half of all posts vacant, push for autonomy
The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, tabled its report on 'Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector' on Wednesday, PTI reported.
It cautioned that India's rapid aircraft induction, unmatched by airport infrastructure expansion, is pushing facilities to the brink, eroding service standards and stretching safety margins.
The panel recommended a comprehensive National Capacity Alignment Plan to synchronise fleet additions with airport growth.
'This deficit is not a mere administrative statistic; it is a critical vulnerability that exists at the very heart of India's safety oversight system, occurring precisely at a time when the sector's unprecedented growth demands more, not less, regulatory vigilance and capacity,' the report observed.
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Nearly 50 per cent of DGCA's 1,063 sanctioned posts remain vacant, with only 553 currently filled.
The committee noted that 'an ineffective recruitment model' has left critical technical positions unfilled despite repeated warnings by earlier expert panels. It also flagged the civil aviation ministry's current stance that direct recruitment by DGCA is 'not under consideration'.
The report further stated that unresolved safety deficiencies are piling up, exposing weaknesses in the regulator's post-surveillance rectification process.
'This is a response to the significant and growing backlog of unresolved safety findings, which indicates a critical weakness in the post-surveillance rectification process that undermines the entire oversight programme,' the panel said, urging strict deadlines for closing gaps and stronger enforcement including financial penalties.
Concerns were also raised about audit quality due to the lack of qualified staff and the tendency of airlines to 'prioritise profiteering over immediate maintenance'.
The panel has asked for mandatory root-cause analysis of every runway incursion and other recurrent high-risk events, warning that 'key safety targets… are consistently being exceeded'. Data on bird strikes and engine failures, it said, show the need for effective remedial measures.
Citing recent helicopter crashes, the committee proposed a uniform national regulatory framework for all state-operated services, backed by mandatory terrain-specific pilot training.
It said state-level oversight has created 'unacceptable safety gaps' in high-risk environments and called for stronger central intervention.
The panel also emphasised creating a 'just culture' with legal whistleblower protection to encourage open error reporting. 'While DGCA has a confidential and non-punitive voluntary safety reporting system, there is a need for clearer protections,' the report added.
Notably, the report made no mention of the June 12 Air India plane crash that claimed 260 lives.
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