Strategic investment in future: Federation of Indian Pilots writes to PM Modi, pushes for Civil Aviation Authority to replace DGCA

In a detailed proposal addressed to the Prime Minister on August 6, FIP President Capt CS Randhawa stressed that India, now the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world, remains an outlier among major regional economies by continuing to rely on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

While the DGCA has historically overseen India's skies, the letter highlights that the rapid expansion of the sector, with commercial fleets topping 850 aircraft, passenger numbers surging past 239 million, and emerging domains like drones and advanced air mobility taking flight, has severely strained a conventional government department.

The proposal points out critical structural limitations under the current setup. Lack of institutional independence as major regulatory decisions and financial outlays require cumbersome government approvals, creating administrative bottlenecks; rigid government pay scales make it difficult to attract and retain specialised aviation talent, such as airline captains, flight operations inspectors, and airworthiness engineers.

It also raised the issue of financial constraints; unlike global counterparts in the UK, Singapore, and neighbouring South Asian nations that operate self-sustaining bodies, the DGCA's revenue goes straight into the Consolidated Fund of India, leaving the regulator dependent on annual budget allocations.

Drawing comparisons with neighbours like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, all of which operate autonomous statutory CAAs, the FIP argued that India's regulatory framework must evolve to match international best practices.

The FIP's blueprint resurrects core elements from previous reform efforts, including the lapsed 2013 Civil Aviation Authority Bill.

Key structural recommendations include: Creation of a dedicated Civil Aviation Authority Fund sustained through user fees, licensing charges, and cost-recovery safety audits, reducing reliance on government grants, empowering the authority to hire industry experts directly with competitive, market-based remuneration rather than being bound by routine civil service rules, professional board featuring a Chairperson, a Director General, and domain experts spanning flight safety, airworthiness, air navigation, consumer affairs, and environmental compliance, appointed for fixed terms and dedicated mechanisms for handling passenger complaints, environmental compliance, and noise regulation. The proposal underscored that an autonomous CAA would heavily bolster compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) standards.

Proponents argued that independent leadership and continuous digital investment will speed up pilot licensing, enhance fatigue risk management (FDTL), and secure global confidence in India's aviation oversight system.

Copies of the comprehensive proposal have also been forwarded to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, Civil Aviation Secretary SK Sinha, Cabinet Secretary Dr TV Somanathan, and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. (ANI)