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New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Parliament panel seeks 'full autonomy' for DGCA, citing 'safety gaps'
NEW DELHI: Noting that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is not in a position to fully discharge its mandate, the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture has recommended 'full administrative and financial autonomy' for the civil aviation regulator. In its report, Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector, tabled in the Upper House on Wednesday, the panel flagged issues including air traffic controller (ATC) fatigue, safety deficiencies, operational overload and inadequate infrastructure, particularly staff shortages. Autonomy was described as essential to address critical technical staff gaps arising from an ineffective recruitment model — a concern highlighted by past expert committees but left unaddressed, the committee, chaired by Janata Dal-United (JDU) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, said. Data presented to the committee showed that out of 1,063 sanctioned posts, only 553 are filled. 'The alternative channel, recruiting personnel on deputation, has proven equally ineffective, particularly for sourcing talent from the Indian Air Force. Experienced Air Force officers are unwilling to join the DGCA on deputation because doing so entails a significant loss of service benefits and allowances, rendering the proposition financially unattractive. Consequently, posts reserved for this vital stream of expertise remain chronically unfilled,' the report said. The committee identified 12 key areas requiring systemic improvement to ensure safety and the sustainable growth of India's aviation sector. The report assumes significance in the wake of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed 260 people. However, the incident did not feature in the report. The panel recommended developing a national Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) for air traffic controllers (ATCOs) and a comprehensive staffing audit to end the long-standing practice of seeking exemptions from mandatory duty-time limits. Referring to four helicopter accidents during the recent Char Dham Yatra, it also called for standardised safety protocols — a uniform national regulatory framework — for helicopter operations. Emphasising stronger surveillance and enforcement, the committee urged a time-bound mechanism for closing all safety deficiencies, with priority given to serious Level I cases, and tougher enforcement measures including financial penalties for non-compliance. In its findings, the panel noted that unresolved Level II deficiencies had risen sharply this year, signalling serious lapses. 'For 2025, up to the month of April, surveillance activities had already detected 4,692 deficiencies. Of these, only 945 had been rectified, leaving a staggering 3,747 deficiencies pending. Further, this backlog included 37 unresolved Level I deficiencies, which represent serious safety lapses requiring immediate attention,' the committee said.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Personnel shortage ‘existential threat' to aviation safety: House panel bats for full autonomy to DGCA
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended granting full financial and administrative autonomy to aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), saying that the lack of autonomy is the 'single greatest impediment' to the regulator's ability to fulfil its mandate effectively. In its report on 'Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector', the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture also highlighted that the DGCA is grappling with a 'profound and persistent' shortage of technical and regulatory personnel, and said that the staff shortage is 'an existential threat' to the integrity of India's aviation safety system. The panel, which is headed by Rajya Sabha member and JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, recommended a time-bound plan to grant autonomy to the DGCA. Among other issues, the panel's report also flagged the shortage of air traffic controllers (ATCOs), and fatigue among the controllers. It termed the ATCO staffing shortage as an 'active and ongoing threat to the safety of the flying public'. It also criticised the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which handles the civilian air traffic control function in India, for not adhering to duty time limitations for ATCOs. As an immediate recommendation, the panel called for the development of a national Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) for ATCOs, along with a comprehensive staffing audit. The report follows a meeting of the standing committee in July, which came a few weeks after the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI 171, in which 260 persons perished. The report did not mention the accident — the worst aviation disaster involving an Indian airline in four decades. 'The report recommends a time-bound plan to grant the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) full administrative and financial autonomy. This is imperative to address critical technical staff shortages caused by an ineffective recruitment model, a problem highlighted by past expert committees but never resolved. Autonomy is essential for the regulator to attract talent, set industry-commensurate salaries, and effectively enforce compliance in a rapidly expanding sector. The Ministry's current stance is that direct recruitment by DGCA is not under consideration,' the report said. The report noted that of the total sanctioned strength of 1,063 posts at the DGCA, only 553 are currently filled, adding that this represents a 'staggering shortfall' of nearly 50 per cent of the required manpower. '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. While the Ministry has expressed an intention to increase the staffing level to approximately 850 within the next six months, the current gap remains a matter of grave concern,' the report said. While recommending the fatigue risk management system for ATCOs along with a comprehensive staffing audit, the report said: 'This is to end the long-standing and high-risk practice of seeking exemptions from mandatory duty-time limitations. The current mismatch between recruitment and training capacity, coupled with operational overload, poses a direct and ongoing threat to airspace safety'. It added that the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which handles the civilian air traffic control function in India, has acknowledged increasing workload on controllers, while stating that over 1,600 ATCO posts have been created recently. 'The evidence points to a deeply troubling practice within India's air traffic management system: the normalisation of deviance. The system is knowingly and consistently operating outside its own mandated safety limits (WDTL) through the routine use of exemptions. This is a classic organisational failure, where a known and significant risk—controller fatigue—is accepted as a normal part of operations due to persistent operational and resource pressures,' the report noted, adding that reliance on exemptions has created a fragile system where the safety of the entire airspace depends 'not on robust, systemic safeguards, but on the over-stretched cognitive endurance of a few hundred individuals'. Other recommendations by the standing committee include mandating a detailed root-cause analysis for every runway incursion and other recurring high-risk events, and establishing focused remedial programmes. 'This is necessary because key safety targets for events like runway incursions are consistently being exceeded, indicating that the current incident review process is failing to translate lessons learned into effective operational changes. Specific data on bird strikes and engine failures underscores the need for effective remedial measures despite existing systematic oversight,' the report said. Given the spate of helicopter accidents in hilly areas in recent months, the panel also called for a uniform national regulatory framework for all state-operated helicopter services, along with mandatory terrain-specific pilot training.
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Air Safety At Risk': Parliamentary Panel Flags Urgent Need For Overhaul Of Civil Aviation Reforms
Last Updated: A central finding of the report was the weakness of the DGCA, which the panel said suffers from acute staff shortages and ineffective recruitment mechanisms. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has issued a strong call for sweeping reforms in India's civil aviation sector, warning that systemic shortcomings pose growing risks to passenger safety and the future of the industry. The panel, chaired by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, tabled its 380th report on overall reforms in civil aviation in Parliament on Tuesday after adopting it on August 19. The committee's review was prompted by heightened concern among lawmakers following the recent Ahmedabad air crash, in which an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after take-off, claiming the lives of 241 passengers. The incident, which shook public confidence, added urgency to the panel's deliberations. Strengthening the Regulator A central finding of the report was the weakness of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which the panel said suffers from acute staff shortages and ineffective recruitment mechanisms. It recommended granting the DGCA both financial and administrative autonomy to strengthen oversight. Without such empowerment, the committee warned, the regulator would continue to lag behind global safety benchmarks. The panel also voiced concern over the mounting workload of air traffic controllers (ATCs), who manage increasingly congested skies under high stress. It recommended the introduction of a Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), strict enforcement of duty-hour limits, and a long-term staffing plan to reduce fatigue-related risks. Highlighting unresolved safety deficiencies, the committee flagged the 'serious risk" posed by the growing backlog of pending issues and called for time-bound enforcement and stricter penalties. It also pressed for a comprehensive safety review of helicopter operations, including mandatory terrain-specific pilot training, a uniform regulatory framework, and closer monitoring of state-operated helicopters flying in high-risk areas. The panel underscored the need for systematic tracking of runway incidents such as incursions and overruns, which have been recurring in Indian airports. A dedicated mechanism to investigate and prevent such risks was proposed. A Cultural Shift in Safety One of the most notable recommendations was the adoption of 'Just Culture" principles in safety governance. This approach encourages open reporting of errors without punitive action, protects whistleblowers, and helps create a culture of transparency. The panel stressed that such a shift is essential if India is to prevent accidents and move towards a proactive safety regime. Infrastructure and Capacity On infrastructure, the report urged the creation of a National Capacity Alignment Plan to ensure that airport expansion keeps pace with the rapid induction of new aircraft. The panel cautioned that the imbalance between growing fleets and inadequate infrastructure was putting unsustainable pressure on existing airports. It also called for modernisation of air traffic management systems using artificial intelligence, greater professional representation in the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and a faster overhaul of airport technologies. Building Human Capital Manpower shortages were flagged as another bottleneck. The panel recommended scaling up pilot training infrastructure, adding more Flying Training Organisations (FTOs), inducting additional training aircraft, and introducing a ranking system for FTOs to improve quality standards. Alongside, it urged stricter enforcement of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and initiatives to address the mental health and fatigue of both pilots and ATCs. Boosting Domestic MRO Given India's heavy reliance on foreign facilities for aircraft maintenance, the report pressed for expansion of the domestic Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) ecosystem. Tax reforms and targeted policy support were recommended to make India a competitive hub for MRO services, thereby reducing costs and dependence on overseas facilities. The day-long meeting preceding the adoption of the report brought together key stakeholders, including Civil Aviation Secretary Sameer Sinha, senior officials from the DGCA, the Airports Authority of India, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, along with senior executives from airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. Representatives from helicopter operators also made detailed submissions. top videos View all Several parliamentarians participated in the deliberations, including BJP MPs Kesridevsinh Jhala, S Phangnon Konyak, Surendra Singh Nagar, Anil Firojiya, Tapir Gao, Rajeev Pratap Reddy, Anurag Sharma, and Rahul Kaswan; Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi, Neeraj Dangi, and KC Venugopal; John Brittas of the CPI(M); Mian Altaf Ahmad of the National Conference; Kumari Shailaja; June Maliah of the TMC; and Uday Srinivas of the Jana Sena Party. The panel cautioned that unless systemic reforms are urgently undertaken, India's aviation sector risks facing compromised safety, overstretched infrastructure, and weakened governance. tags : Ahmedabad Plane Crash Air Safety civil aviation view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 20, 2025, 14:59 IST News india 'Air Safety At Risk': Parliamentary Panel Flags Urgent Need For Overhaul Of Civil Aviation Reforms Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
